HOUSTON'S
biographers have recorded him as a soldier, and he has gone down into history
as such, but his greatest efforts were not made while in the Army. Nature
endowed Sam Houston with a will, and with the courage oh his convictions. He
was great in Congress; great in a Cherokee camp; and great in the organization
of his State and of the Grand Lodge.

Born in
Lexington, Va., in 1793; son of an officer in the Revolutionary Army; an
orphan in 1807. His mother with her nine children migrated to East Tennessee,
near the Cherokee reservation. Sam attended school and must have been an apt
scholar as he was reported as reading and translating from the Iliad at an
early age. He was so popular with the Indians that the Chief, Oolooteka,
adopted him as a son. At the age of eighteen he measured six feet in height:
was a famous hunter: taught school: and in 1813 enlisted in the Army, to repel
the British: was promoted to an Ensign: fought under Jackson, and in the
battle of the Great Bend of the Tallapoosa, against the Indians, was wounded
on March 24, 1814, and promoted to a lieutenancy, and stationed at Knoxville
and at New Orleans. In 1817 he was appointed Indian Agent, to carry out the
treaty with the Cherokees. He conducted a delegation of Indians to Washington,
where they were well received and where their complaints were satisfied.

Complaints were made against Houston for his opposition to the smuggling of
African slaves through the Spanish Territory of Florida into the United
States, which caused him trouble to defend, but he was honorably acquitted. He
felt, however, that he had not been treated fairly, and resigned from the
Army. He then took up his residence in Nashville, studied law, was graduated;
admitted to the Bar; then appointed adjutant general of the State, and, in
1819, was elected District Attorney.

In 1823
he was elected to Congress where he served six years, and was then elected
Governor of Tennessee. He afterwards took up his residence in Arkansas where
the Cherokee Tribe of Indians (his old friends) were located, and as his old
friend Oolooteka had become the principal Chief, Houston was given a hearty
welcome. He loved out-of-door life.

In 1832
he went to Washington to remonstrate against the frauds and outrages practiced
on the Indians, which resulted in the removal of five Indian Agents from
office. But this involved him in a series of personal and legal contests with
the deposed Agents and their friends. He was accused in the House of
Representatives, by an Ohio member, of attempting to obtain a discreditable
government contract for Indian rations. It was then, as now, the privilege of
a Congressman to say, in debate, what he chose, and for which he was immune
before the law. But it did not work in this case, as Sam damaged that member's
face with his fists, for which he was heavily fined by the court, but the fine
was afterwards remitted. It was followed, however, by an investigation of the
alleged frauds, with the damaged member as chairman of the Committee, and, as
nothing derogatory was discovered, Houston was exonerated.

Houston
went to Texas to live in 1832, at a time a revolution against the Mexican
Government was being agitated. He at once became a central figure; took an
active and honorable part in that war, reaching the rank of Commander-in-Chief
of the Texan Army. It was Houston's treaty with Santa Anna that secured the
independence of the Republic of Texas. He exercised a close scrutiny over the
finances, and paid off much of the debt of Texas, by 1845, when Texas lowered
its lone star colors to become one of the United States.

From the
History of Holland Lodge No. 1, of Texas, I make the following excerpts:

"Sam
Houston. His Masonic degrees were taken in Cumberland Lodge No. 8, at
Nashville, Tenn., in 1817. Dimitting from that lodge he affiliated with
Holland Lodge No. 1 (originally No. 36, Louisiana) at Houston, Texas, in
1837.... He presided over the convention when the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M.,
of the Republic of Texas was organized, Dec. 20, 1837, at Houston."

Brother
Houston died at Huntsville in 1863, where the beautiful memorial, shown in the
frontispiece, marks his grave.

That
famous old Holland Lodge has borne on its roster some of the grandest names of
the Republic. In its early, struggling days, these names are evidence that
they were selected because they were great men, and not because it was their
turn, as now so often happens all over the country. The lodge was originally
chartered by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. It was No. 1 at the formation of
the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, and it passed, loyally and without
dissent, to the Grand Lodge of the State of Texas, when that great State
become one of the United States.

Its first
Grand Master was Anson Jones, who figured so unselfishly, so wisely and so
energetically in the early history of the Republic as well of the Lone Star
State. Following down its roster we find such distinguished men among the
Grand Masters and such grand work they did for the commonwealth, that there is
no shadow of doubt that Texas owes much to Freemasonry.

ROMAN
CATHOLICISM AND FREEMASONRY

BY BRO.
DUDLEY WRIGHT ENGLAND

PART VIII
- CONCLUSION

IMMEDIATELY on the publication of the allocution the following circular was
addressed by the Heidelberg lodge, Rupprecht zu den funf Rosen, to its sister
lodges:

"Venerable and beloved Brethren,--

Doubtless
you have all taken cognizance of the allocution addressed on the 25th
September by His Holiness Pope Pius IX to the Cardinals assembled in Rome.
You know that in this address our Institution is condemned and our Catholic
Brethren threatened with the excommunication of the Church. This is not the
first time that the Roman Catholic pontiff has launched his thunderbolts
against our ancient Order. Clement XII did so on the 28th April, 1738, and
Benedict XIV confirmed and amplified the fiat of his predecessors in the Bull
of 18th March, 1517. Pius VII and Leo XII have done likewise and with the
same want of success as deplored by the present Pope.

"These
decrees of the see of Rome have no similarity with the findings of the courts
of law. They originate in secret denigrations of which no notice is given to
the accused. There is no public prosecution and no opportunity afforded for
defence, either public or private. All guarantees for impartial jurisdiction
and an unbiased judgment are wanting. Suspicion stands for evidence, the
guilt of the accused rests on conjecture, he is convicted without a hearing.
Is it a matter of wonder then if public opinion has no confidence in such
decrees and strongly deprecates them?

"The
Masonic brotherhood is an association of freemen, subject to the laws of the
State in which they are located, but not to any clerical authority, it being
no clerical institution and adhering to no church as such. For our federation
the papal excommunication is therefore devoid of all binding power; but since
the head of the Catholic Church condemns us unheard, we will in our turn, hear
and examine the motives on which he grounds his opinion.

"The
first and paramount reason put forward by all popes in justification of their
edicts of condemnation is the reproach urged against us that Freemasonry
unites as brethren men of divers persuasions and religious sects and that by
this, as Benedict XIV has it, 'the purity of the Catholic religion is
contaminated.'

"The
first and main grave charge of all brethren, let us avow it, is true and
well-founded. If it be a crime for men of diverse creeds to assemble in peace
and harmony, and hold friendly and affectionate communications, irrespective
of their religious persuasions, we own and plead guilty to this crime. It is
certainly true that our Institution has, from its very beginning, and as it
has progressed with increasing determination, professed that there are in all
creeds to be found good and honourable men, well adapted to respect and love
each other as brethren. In all times Freemasonry considered as a crime and
violation of humanity the persecution of man on account of his religious
dissension; indeed, every good and true Mason appreciates much more the man
who acts up to his moral duty than he who merely professes the most orthodox
tenets. But, these doctrines which, for a long time had to be kept secret and
harboured in the lodges alone, have become patent, and, in spite of all
admonitions of clerical zealots, they are by this time adopted and adhered to
by men of education all over the globe, and embodied in the laws of all
civilized nations. Should Masonry be condemned on such grounds, the whole
civilized world and all cultivated peoples must needs participate in this
condemnation.

"Thank
God, a papal thunderbolt issuing from such foundation will produce no
destructive effects but it will serve to disclose the nocturnal darkness of
intolerance that has procreated it - it will show the world how very backward
Rome is in the moral progress of mankind.

"The
second head on which the Bull of Benedict XIV is based is the mystery on which
our confederation is encircled; indeed, the mystery to which we pledge
ourselves has at all times evoked much suspicion, and been a pretext for
misinterpretation. But you know how many gross misunderstandings it has given
rise to, unfortunately not outside the circle of our Brotherhood only. Still
neither the doctrines nor the objects of the Craft are occult, neither its
existence - nor are its adherents or their places of meeting unknown
now-a-days; the signs of recognition alone must remain secret, that the
brethren may the more readily distinguish each other abroad, and the internal
labours of the lodge must be private that personal confidence may develop
itself more fully, and opinions may be uttered more freely. The calm and
personal action of the Confederation and the character and moral life of its
members, necessitates this precaution. But is it other-wise in the Catholic
Church? Is confession public or private? Are the doors of religious and
monastic orders and authorities thrown open to the public during their
proceedings? Has not every family, every circle of intimate friends, every
social club and association secrets of its own? Perhaps, brethren, our lodges
are somewhat too strict in this respect, in an age that is very partial to
publicity. But surely, such timid solicitude can never be branded as a crime
that bears within itself its condemnation.

"The old
Masonic oath, with its commination full of grave penalties, was Benedict XIV's
third motive for the excommunication of Freemasons, and in this also Pius IX
joins his intolerant predecessor. You are aware, brethren, that this formula
has been obsolete for a long time past, and is communicated to novices merely
as a historical fact belonging to a period that no longer exists. You know
that we trust more in the plain word of an honest man than in exaggerated
oaths, that are liable to hit up imagination and cool down reason. The third
count, therefore, which was never very material, has but an illusory existence
with us at the present day.

"As a
fourth motive, Benedict XIV quotes the Roman law, by which all associations
and corporations are declared illegal which have not obtained the previous
acquiesence of the civil authority. But this has nothing to do with the right
of the Church. Most civilized governments that are alone called upon to
decide in this matter have tolerated and opposed no restrictions on the
existence of our Order, before they ever recognized general liberty of
association, which is not impugned by the Roman code of laws.

"The
fifth motive alleged, viz., the fact of several governments having prohibited
the Order, will collapse by itself. Whenever prohibitions of Freemasonry are
decreed (and this is done but exceptionally) it is the duty of the lodges to
dissolve forthwith, and prove thereby their obedience to the law of the land.

"Benedict
XIV alleged as his last motive that many wise and honest men entertain an
unfavourable opinion of this Federation. Forsooth, the Pope of Rome should be
the last person in the world to base a condemnation on such a ground. No
doubt, there is many a wise and honest man who entertains an unfavourable
opinion of religious orders and monasteries, nay, of the whole Roman
hierarchy.

"Of all
the counts of the charge quoted, the first alone is true and material; but the
same grounds upon which the Pope curses us constitutes our highest glory in
the eyes of the civilized world.

"Now,
referring to the latest papal ebullition, Pius IX complains of the inactivity
of the Bishops who, he thinks, have proved forbearing and meek in carrying out
the papal excommunication, and of the Catholic sovereigns who refrained from
suppressing the Association by force; nay, he even accused heaven of having
permitted such toleration on the part of the temporal rulers. His strictures
on Freemasonry are far more poignant than those of his predecessors. It is
true the Roman hierarchs have at no time been at a loss for expressions of
violent abuse; but the present edict of Pius IX surpasses all former
maledictions by the passionate irruptions of bile it denotes. This we must
consider as a further proof of the baneful influence our worst and most
uncompromising enemies, the Jesuits, have acquired over the mind and judgment
of one whom we believe to be a good-natured Pope.

"Our
Federation he calls a criminal sect, although no other 'crime' but human
toleration is proved against us, and an immoral sect, though the moral law is
essentially the vital principle of Freemasonry. The kindling of revolutions
and desolating wars he lays at our door, though every one is fully aware that
the commotions and wars in this quarter of the globe originated in forces far
different from, and more powerful than, those we commend, and though it is
well known that our Association asks of every one of its adherents strict
obedience to the laws of the State, that, by virtue of our Constitutions,
lodges must abstain from all and every participation in the political
struggles of the time, and pursue none but humane and moral objects; that our
places of meeting are abodes of peace and neutral ground, the threshold of
which the passions of parties are not allowed to cross. The Pope next charges
us with entertaining 'growing hatred' towards the Christian religion, although
we accept on principle every sincere faith, and the vast majority of brethren
profess the religion of Christ, and the moral idea revealed to the world by
Christ in His life, as well as in His teachings, cannot possibly be upheld by
a moral association but with admiration and veneration. He goes so far as to
call us hostile to God, though our prayers are addressed to God, and the whole
of our moral strength drawn from the divine and eternal source of human life.

"Let us
not follow, brethren, the example of the Roman hierarchy. Let us not return
the unjust accusation. We may not oppose our malediction to the course of the
Church. Let us pity the sad blindness of the venerable old man whose mind is
imposed upon and misled. Let us pray Almighty and Omniscient God to destroy
the phantom that has caused the fury of the Pope, and allow his mind to see
simple truth, that his curse may be turned into a blessing."

In the
course of an article dealing with the allocution and the letter just quoted,
the "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" said:

"The Pope
has delivered himself of another rude phillipica against Freemasonry, that
'reprobate society' and 'criminal sect' that 'aims at nothing but reversion of
religion and human society.' It is evidently useless to reason with Rome,
which remains eternally the same, and we only wish to remind the Pope that to
this 'reprobate society' and 'criminal sect' belong, amongst others, several
powerful potentates, as, for example, the King of Prussia. At a time when the
last remains of the power of the Pope draw nearer and nearer their final
elimination, every friend of intellectual liberty and human progress may hail
with delight the allocution that is calculated to accelerate and even secure
such 'reversion.'"

At this
time also Herr Franz Spiegelthal, Master of the Lodge Zu festen Berg an der
Saale of Cable, wrote to the "Freimauerer Zeitung" that the allocution of the
Pope had caused him to secede from Roman Catholicism and join the Protestant
Church; and, he added, that many of his Catholic friends were likely to follow
his example.

In 1869
Cardinal Cullen threatened to excommunicate publicly any Catholics who were
found attending a Masonic Ball, and the Earl of Derby, the representative of a
family honoured for generations among Freemasons, speaking in the House of
Lords in the debate on the Irish Church Bill, referring to this threat
remarked: "I can only say if his Excellency imagines that the Freemasons of
England stand on the same footing with the Carbonari and other secret
societies, if he imagines that they are leagued against the throne, that it is
a signal proof of the ignorance of infallibility."

On 14th
March, 1870, at Madrid, some Roman Catholic priests refused to perform the
last sacred rites over the body of Don Enrique de Bourbon because of the
presence of certain Masonic emblems on the coffin. On perceiving these the
clergy, with one exception, withdrew, taking with them the paraphernalia of
their religion. The one remaining priest consented to accompany the body to
the cemetery where he performed the funeral ceremony.

In 1871 a
pamphlet was published by L'Abbe Joseph de Sousa Amado, entitled Documents et
Reflexions, in which he stated that three or four Freemasons had been
appointed to bishoprics. One of these, he said, was Dr. Joseph Marie da Silva
Torre, Archbishop of Goa, who had been initiated in the Lodge Urbionia de
Coimbra. The author also complained that it was the government's intention to
present to the Holy See the names of two well-known Freemasons for
consecration to the episcopacy, these being L'Abbe Emmanuel Cardoso Napoles
and Dr. Antoine Aires de Gouveia.

In 1873
the Jesuits, driven from most of the European countries, selected Brazil as a
field for their enterprise. For a long time the Church and Freemasons had
lived in peace, and the population of Pernambuco had always been recognized as
a type of Christian piety. But the Bishop of the diocese, a young man of only
twenty-three years of age, at the bidding of the Jesuits, attempted to enforce
the Papal Bull against the Freemasons. The prelate had counted on the support
of the people, but his high-handed measures turned the tide of popular
feeling. The Bishop was mobbed in his own palace, and the military had to be
called in to protect him.

In
January, 1874, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Molines, Primate of Belgium,
issued a pastoral in which he excommunicated all Freemasons in the kingdom,
however exalted their position. This, notwithstanding the fact that the
Constitution of Belgium guarantees freedom of conscience to all religious
communities so long as they do not violate the law of the State.

In the
same month, says the Valparaiso Mail, quoting from the Opinion Nacionale of
Rosario, "the Bishop of Rio Grande excommunicated and anathematized the
Freemasons of that province, cursing them in the name of God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew, of
all the Apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ, of the four Evangelists, of
all the Martyrs from the beginning of the world to the end of time. He cursed
them all by the heavens and the earth, all the things therein, in their
houses, when travelling on land and on water, in church, coming, going,
eating, drinking, playing, when courting sleep, asleep and awake, walking,
riding, sitting, working, and resting. He cursed all the power of their
bodies, interior and exterior, their hair, eyes, head, ears, jaws, nose,
teeth, throat, shoulders, arms, legs, feet, all the joints, and finally wound
up as follows: 'Curse them, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, with all the
power of Thy majesty, and may they be delivered up to eternal condemnation if
they do not repent and confess their faults. Amen. Amen."'

In May,
1875, Pope Pius IX sent the following letter to Monsignor Dupanloup:

"Venerable Brother:- Salutation and Apostolical Benediction. In this war
waged on all sides against the Catholic Church by the Masonic sect, your
publication was most useful and opportune, especially because this sect, long
secret, has now unmasked itself. It avows its designs, and in a certain
country, not under the pretext of public rights, but in its own name, does
guilty battle with the Church. It is useful, because the nefarious character
of the sect being known, there is no honest man who must not turn from it with
horror, and perhaps many members who do not know the secret mysteries will now
withdraw. What is particularly useful is the perspicacity with which you
demonstrate to all attentive minds the real tendency of the taking words
'Fraternity and Equality,' which have deceived and seduced so many, and the
true origin and object of the much boasted liberties of conscience, of public
worship, and of the press. After reading your work nobody can doubt that all
this came from Freemasonry to overturn civil and religious order, and
consequently the Church has wisely condemned those who practice and defend
such liberties. It is manifest that all partisans of these liberties, albeit
unknown to themselves, favour the Masonic sect, and the more honest they are,
the more disastrous is their support to such principles. We therefore wish
you many intelligent readers, for it is no small advantage to perceive the
snare, and as a pledge of Divine favour and our special goodwill we give you,
Venerable Brother, from the bottom of our heart, to you and your diocese, our
Apostolical Benediction. In the twenty-third year of our Pontificate. Pius
IX, Pope."

In 1877,
on the occasion of the anniversary of the consecration of Pope Pius IX as
Archbishop of Spoleto, the Catholics of Portugal, particularly the Michaelists,
to which Order reference has been made in these columns, falling in with the
practice being adopted by other countries, organized a pilgrimage to Rome.
About three hundred Portuguese joined in the excursion. They were received at
Rome, when, in response to an address presented to him, Pope Pius IX said,
among other things: "You have a powerful and terrible enemy, that is violent
Freemasonry, which wishes to annihilate in you all vestiges of Catholicism."

In 1878
Monsignor Besson, Bishop of Nismes, issued an edict forbidding the intrusion
of Masonic emblems into the churches of his diocese and ordering the priests
to remove them whenever found.

On 20th
April, 1884, Pope Leo XIII issued his famous Letter Humanum Genus "To all
venerable Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops in the Catholic world
who have grace and communion with the Apostolic See."

(This
Letter will be found on pages 287-293 of the 1919 bound volume of THE BUILDER,
and Albert Pike's comment thereon, on pages 314-319 of the same volume.
Pike's reply to the Letter was published in the 1920 bound volume of THE
BUILDER, on pages 13-19 and 35-41.)

The
Bishop of Ascalon, Vicar-Apostolic of Bombay, in a pastoral letter
promulgating the Encyclical Letter, said:

"In the
performance of their duty the parish priests and confessors must not admit as
valid or reasonable the common excuse that Freemasonry, in India and England
aims at nothing but social amusement, mutual advancement, and charitable
benevolence. Such objects require neither a terrible oath of secrecy nor an
elaborate system and scale of numerous degrees, nor a connection with the
Masonic lodges of other countries, about whose anti-Christian, anti-social,
and revolutionary character and aim no doubt nor further concealment is
possible. The Masonic lodges all over the world are firmly knitted and bound
together in solidarity. If all of them share in the pleasure of a triumph
achieved by a particular lodge, or by the lodges of a particular country, all
must likewise submit to the stigma of an anti-Christian, anti-social, and
revolutionary sect, as which Freemasonry is in many countries already openly
known, and even unblushingly confessed by its own adepts."

It goes
without saying that the Jesuits proclaimed against "Freemasonry the same
anathemas as the heads of the Roman Church, and this is demonstrated by the
following circular letter signed by Vincent Ficarelli, Provincial of the
Jesuits in Portugal, which was sent in 1884 to all the houses of that Society
in that country:

"Reverend
Fathers and very dear Brethren: The Peace of Christ be with you. The Very
Reverend Father Vicar-General, hastening to the appeal made by the Holy Father
to all Catholics to combat secret societies has addressed to all the Society
an Encyclical Letter, in which he invites all his children to take part in
this glorious campaign.

"Indeed,
says the Reverend Father Vicar, it is not sufficient to read but once that
admirable Encyclical Humanum Genus, but it is necessary that it be meditated
upon with attention in order firmly to impress upon the mind what is contained
in the same and this, up to a certain point, is what concerns this letter.
That also is why I wish all those to whom this has reference, shall not remain
content with hearing it read in the refectory, but that they shall consider it
attentively and strive well to make it take a firm grip of their minds.

"It is a
question of combatting the most terrible enemy of the Church, which boasting
in the victories obtained up to the present, believes itself to be altogether
the conqueror, and proclaims that nothing further can come into opposition
with its dark designs. To us, as obedient children, it should suffice to
enlist courageously in the fight, knowing what is the will of the Vicar of
Jesus Christ, whom Divine Providence has given to us as father, mother, and
guide of our actions. Having therefore courage, and with the cry 'God wills
it' let us hasten to enlist in this glorious crusade.

'It is a
question of agreement with the Sovereign Pontiff and all good men will attend
to us. Let all, in obedience to the voice of Leo XIII, take up arms against
the common enemy. Let not the difficulties discourage us: such do not lessen
the zeal of our enemies. Let us count on the blessing of God and go forward.

"We must
all contribute to the success of the enterprise. Let confessors and spiritual
directors, particularly of young men, by their counsels and opportune
remonstrances, endeavour to form the minds of their penitents and pupils by
insinuating the principles of the Faith and of the Christian philosophy, by
opposing the doctrine of naturalism professed by this abominable sect. Let
preachers and writers profit by every prudent opportunity by attacking
directly or indirectly the secret societies and combatting their doctrines.
Guided always by obedience and prudence, let none lose a single opportunity of
causing hatred to Freemasonry, in conversations and in private letters, in
religious instructions and sermons, in the exercises of the clergy and others
of the faithful, in missions and particularly in colleges, let us seek
seriously to counteract its deleterious action.

"Let us
exert ourselves to warn our pupils against the manoeuvres of Freemasonry,
making them to see its abominable character, in order that they may detest it
as much as it deserves. Let us have a particular care of Confraternities,
particularly those composed of men and attached to our Society, by opposing
those diabolical societies and contrasting them with our own, where the Gospel
maxims are inculcated unceasingly, and thus we shall introduce, or rather,
engrave by degrees in the hearts of our members the mind of Jesus Christ and
the love of the Christian virtues.

"It is
for the Superiors to direct these movements, that the excessive zeal of the
indiscreet may be put down and the valour of the more indolent stimulated, in
order that prudence may not be relaxed nor courage reach to indiscretion and
temerity.

"I desire
that this letter in which I have sought to do my utmost to assemble the
principal ideas of the Encyclical Letter of our Reverend Father Vicar-General,
should come to the knowledge of all, and in order that it may produce the good
which I desire let us invoke the wisdom and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

"I
commend myself to your prayers.

"Lisbon,
15th July, 1884.

(Father)
"Vincent Ficarelli, S. J."

In
accordance with the commands of the Provincial, the Jesuits compelled their
followers before entering the Congregation of the Holy Virgin to make the
following declaration:

"Obeying
with a filial love the authority of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, clearly
expressed in the Encyclical Humanum Genus by His Holiness, Leo XIII, who, as
well as the Sovereign Pontiffs, his predecessors, has frequently condemned
Freemasonry and all other secret societies, I undertake and promise never to
enrol myself in any one of these sects, no matter by what name it may be
called. On the contrary, I will valiantly combat, always and everywhere, its
traditions, doctrines, and influence. So help me God."

This
oath, it must be remembered, was frequently taken by young children.

An
Encyclical Letter to the Bishops of Italy, entitled Ab Apostolici was issued
by Pope Leo XIII on 15th October, 1890, in which he said:

"It is
needless now to put the Masonic sects upon their trial. They are already
judged, their ends, their means, their doctrines, and their action are all
known with indisputable certainty. Possessed by the spirit of Satan, whose
instrument they are, they burn, like him, with a deadly and implacable hatred
of Jesus Christ and of His work; and they endeavour by every means to
overthrow and fetter it: . . . It is more than ever clear that the ruling idea
which, as far as religion is concerned, controls the course of public affairs
in Italy, is the realization of the Masonic programme. We see how much has
already been realized; we know how much still remains to be done; and we can
foresee with certainty that, so long as the destinies of Italy are in the
hands of sectarian rulers or of men subject to the sects, the realization of
the programme will be pressed on, more or less rapidly according to
circumstances, unto its complete development. The action of the sects is at
present directed to attain the following objects, according to the votes and
resolutions passed in their most important assemblies, votes and resolutions
inspired throughout by a deadly hatred of the Church: (1) the abolition in the
schools of every kind of religious instruction, and the founding of
institutions in which even girls are to be withdrawn from all clerical
influence whatever it may be; because the State, which ought to be absolutely
atheistic, has the inalienable right and duty to form the heart and the spirit
of its citizens, and no school should exist apart from its inspiration and
control. The rigorous application of all laws now in force, which aim at
securing the absolute independence of civil society from clerical influence.
The strict observance of laws suppressing religious corporations, and the
employment of means to make them effectual. The regulations, of all
ecclesiastical property, starting from the principle that its ownership
belongs to the State, and its administration to the civil power. The
exclusion of every Catolic or clerical element from all public
administrations, from pious works, hospitals and schools, from the councils
which govern the doctrines of the country, from academical and other unions,
from companies, committees, and families, the exclusion from everything,
everywhere, and for ever. Instead, the Masonic influence is to make itself
felt in all the circumstances of social life and to become master and
controller of everything. Hereby the way will be smoothed towards the
abolition of the Papacy; Italy will thus be free from its implacable and
deadly enemy; and Rome which, in the past, was the centre of universal
theocracy, will, in the future, be the centre of universal secularization,
once the mocking charity of human liberty is to be proclaimed in the face of
the world. Such are the atheistic declarations, aspirations, and resolutions
of Freemasons or of their assemblies.".

On
Christmas Day, 1891, Pope Leo XIII issued another Encyclical Letter, one
clause of which ran as follows:

"Permit
us, then, in addressing you, to point to Masonry as the enemy at once of God,
the Church, and our country. Since we are dealing with a sect which has
spread itself everywhere, it is not enough to be on the defensive towards it,
but we must go courageously into the arena and meet it, as you will do, dear
children, by opposing press to press, school to school, association to
association, congress to congress, action to action."

The late
Cardinal Vaughan was one of the most affable of men, who seldom - in contrast
with other members of his family - entered the public arena of verbal conflict
and discussion. His knowledge of Freemasonry must have been extremely
limited, even for one outside the Order, to imagine that the Third Order of
St. Francis, admirable organization though it may be, could ever rise to the
equal of the Craft of Freemasonry. But, on one occasion, the Cardinal wrote in
one of his pastoral letters:

"Who,
when he beholds the enemies of Christianity leaguing together in a world-wide
Freemasonry, in order to attain by combination that which they feel they could
never otherwise achieve - who will not at once admit the wisdom of founding
the Third Order of St. Francis, which binds devout Christians together in
every part of the world in a holy confederacy, having for its sole object the
service of God and the conversation and reformation of society."

An
ancient saying is that often-misquoted one - De mortuis nil nisi bonum - but
it is a remarkable fact that when attacking a system or creed the opponents
will, not infrequently, commit themselves to the most outrageous statements
and still persevere in them, even when their falsity has been proved most
conclusively. This is particularly the case with Protestant critics of the
Roman system. Certainly this feature is not met with so frequently among
Catholic apologists, but that it is not unknown may be proved from the
statement in the next paragraph.

Lecturing
at the Hempstead Town Hall in March, 1898, the late Dr. Luke Rivington said
that any one acquainted with the history of Italy achieving her unity could
only blush if he had a spark of Christian feeling in him. It was only during
the last few years since we had seen the letters of Garibaldi that we had
become aware of the iniquity, the disgrace, and the positive barbarism of all
that matter, and of the awful disgraceful lies told by the Freemasons of
Italy. Christians must blush to think that anyone bearing the name of
Christian should enter upon a course of such disgraceful meanness and shocking
falsehood. There was no nation under heaven at that moment so trodden down by
oppression and tyranny as the Italian poor. As one who, had mixed among them
he knew how heavily they were taxed. It was something too dreadful to think
about, and he looked upon the matter as a blot upon our civilization. As one
who had been a Freemason, he could say that most of them believed, and he
among the number, that once when Crispi was admitted to a certain degree, he
began to worship the devil himself. The whole state of Italy was something so
perfectly awful that most people felt they were on the verge of a revolution.
They had succeeded in introducing secular education for a whole generation,
and they had no right to speak of a nation as being in the undisputed
possession of the Roman Catholic Church when, as a matter of fact, Freemasonry
had got into that country. Freemasonry was a secret society which walked in
darkness, and had put in its programme secular education in order to destroy
religion. . . . So far as history went when the Roman Catholic Church had
perfect possession of a nation, then that nation rose to the top. That was
the case with Spain. It was the leading power of Europe. The Freemasons had
not got there then, and so long as the Roman Catholic Church had possession of
a nation, so long it would find its way upwards and upwards. Dismiss the
Freemasons and bring back the Pope and they would hav the best governor in the
whole of Europe.

The
foregoing is taken from a Roman Catholic newspaper report of the lecture,
published in the following week, but the outrageous statements made therein do
not appear to have been brought to the notice of the Masonic press at that
date. Otherwise it is certain that a challenge would have been issued to Dr
LuKe Rivington, member of the Craft of Freemasonry though he may have been at
an earlier date, to have proved the statements made. At any rate the opposing
statement may, here be made in issue - that in no degree in Freemasonry
recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England or in any of the Jurisdictions
with which she is in communion will there be found anything approaching to the
worship of the devil, nor is there single degree into which any one can be
admitted and remain a member who does not acknowledge and maintain, without
equivocation, his sole dependence upon that One Great, Supreme Power - God,
the Almighty Creator and Preserver of Mankind.

Yet
another Pastoral Letter, entitled Annum in gressi was issued by Pope Leo XIII,
on 18th March, 1902, which may be regarded as complimentary to Freemasonry,
inasmuch as if the Craft had not mad rapid and increasing strides, there would
not have been the need for these frequent diatribes. Referring to the charges
of political ambition brought against the Church in France and Italy, the
Pope said:

"It is
then, assuredly, with a perverse intention that accusations such as these are
hurled against the Church. A pernicious and disloyal task this, in the
pursuit of which the leading part is taken by a certain secret sect, which,
for many years past, society has carried in its alliance, and which, like the
germ of mortal disease, saps its health, its fruitfulness, its very life. A
enduring personification of revolutionary principles, it constitutes a kind of
perverted society, whose object is to exercise a hidden suzerainty over
recognized society, and the very reason of whose being is nothing else than to
wage war against God and against his Church. It is needless to name it, for by
these characteristics ever one must have recognized that we mean Freemasonry
of which we spoke in express terms in our Encyclical Humanuin Genus of the
20th April, 1894, wherein we denounced its destructive tendencies, its
erroneous doctrines, its wicked work. Embracing, as it does, in it vast net
almost all the nations, and allying itself with other sects which it sets in
motion by means of hidden springs first attaching and then keeping its hold on
its members by means of the advantages which it secures to them, binding
governments to its purposes, now by promises, now by threats, this sect has
succeeded in permeating all classes of society. It forms a kind of invisible
and irresponsible state within the legitimate State. Filled with the spirit of
Satan, who, as the Apostle tells us, knows how, on occasion, to transform
himself into an angel of light (II Cor. xi, 14) it puts prominently forward a
humanitarian programme, but, in fact, it sacrifices everything to its
sectarian designs. It pretends that it has no political aim, but, in truth,
it exercises a profound influence over the legislative and administrative life
of states. And, whereas, in words it professes respect for authority and even
for religion, its ultimate purpose (as appears from its own constitutions) is
a limitation of the sovereign power and of the priesthod, in which it
professes to see enemies of liberty.

"Now, it
becomes daily more manifest that to the instigation and active consultants of
this sect must, in great measure, be ascribed the continual vexations
wherewith the Church is harassed and the renewed attacks which have, quite
recently, been made upon her. For the simultaneousness of the assaults which
have been delivered, the suddenness of the persecution which has broken out in
these last days, like a storm in a clear sky, that is to say without any cause
proportioned to the effect produced; the uniformity of the preparations
carried out by means of attacks in the press, in public meetings, and in
theatrical representations; the employment in every country of the same arms,
namely, calumnies aid popular risings - all these unmistakably betoken an
identity of purpose and a word of command which is issued from one only centre
of direction. This, indeed, is a mere episode in a preconcerted plan of
campaign, which is translating itself into action on a stage that grows ever
wider and wider, in order to multiply the ruinous consequences which we have
heretofore enumerated. Its very purpose is first to restrict and afterwards
entirely to abolish religious education, and thereby to bring up generations
of unbelievers or indifferentists; to combat, by means of the daily press, the
morality of the Church; to ridicule her practices and to prevent her sacred
festivals.

"Nothing
is more natural, then, that the Catholic priesthood, whose mission is no other
than that of preaching religion and administering the sacraments, should be
attacked with special fury. Having chosen the priesthood as an object to be
aimed at, this sect seeks to diminish in the eyes of the people its prestige
and authority. Already, with a boldness which increases hourly and in
proportion to the impunity which it believes itself to have secured, it puts a
malign interpretation on all the acts of the clergy; it mistrusts them on the,
slightest pretext, and harasses them with the basest charges. And these fresh
injuries are added to those under which the clergy already suffer, in spite of
the tribute which it must pay to military service, a serious obstacle to the
preparation of its members for the priesthood, as well as the consequence of
the confiscation of the patrimony of the Church, which the faithful, out of
their pious generosity, had voluntarily created."

In
October, 1913, Pope Pius X recommended to the League of the Sacred Heart, as
the intention of the members for the month, the battle against Freemasonry. A
Roman Catholic newspaper announcing the fact, said:

"In
offering to the associates of the League of the Sacred Heart, and thereby to
the entire Catholic world, the battle against Freemasonry as the primal
intention of their prayers and practices for October, Pope Pius X is in unison
with all his predecessors from Clement XII in 1738, to Pope Leo XIII in 1890,
who condemned Freemasonry as anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and immoral, and
pronounced excommunication against Catholics who should enter it.

"This
alone is proof sufficient that Masonry is to be avoided and combatted as a
thing essentially evil; yet it has cunningly persuaded many that its object is
merely social and fraternal, and a large number of 'outer' Masons in
English-speaking countries are kept ignorant of its real designs."

In 1916,
in the course of an address at the fourth annual meeting of the Australian
Catholic Federation at Melbourne, Archbishop Mannix said:

"I wish
that the Federation could boast in its report that it had at some point met,
unmasked, and overthrown the most insidious enemy of God and country, the
Freemason Brotherhood. Catholics who know Australian life better than I can
pretend to know it, assure me that the sinister influence of that body is felt
at every turn - in polities, in trade, in commerce, in the professions. From
the making of a law and the shaping of a policy to the letting of a contract
and the hiring of a wharf labourer, the secret grip of the brotherhood makes
itself felt, and not for the common good, but for the exclusive good of the
Freemasons. Already in this young democratic country we have, apparently,
this secret aristocracy fastened upon the neck of Australia, a huge tumour,
feeding upon the very vitals, the blood, and the life of the country. The
Prime Minister recently used strong language about those whom he described as
parasites upon the Labour Party. He is a strong man and a man of courage. I
wish that he felt himself free enough and strong enough to deal with those
that are not parasites upon any one party, but who are poisoning the public
life of all parties, who are strangling honesty in commerce, and who are
battening not on a party, but on the Australian nation. If the Federation
could only unmask some of the brethren it would be helping to purify
Australian life. Perhaps, for a small beginning, the Federation might make a
list of the Freemasons who sit as Federal or State members. The list should
have great interest for all democratic Australians at election times. For I
have no doubt that the secret understandings among the Masonic brethren would
explain much that is done behind the backs and against the will of the
people."

This
statement is quoted only as a sample of the many utterances of Catholic
priests and prelates, who certainly cannot know what they are talking about.
Certainly no credence need be placed in this particular utterance when the
career of Archbishop Mannix is considered, along with his treasonable
utterances and his lack of respect for anything that would "purify" life.

MASONS IN
CONGRESS

The
following list was compiled by the NEW AGE magazine from information received
from Grand Secretaries of Grand Lodges, and is approximately correctCwith the
exception of one or two States whose Grand Secretaries did not answer letters
asking for lists of Masons in Congress from their States.

Should
any of our readers find any errors or omissions herein we shall be glad to
receive their corrections.

The list
is published with the permission of Brother John H. Cowles, Secretary-General
of the A. & A. S. R., Southern Masonic Jurisdiction.

High
Twelve international, a new and comprehensive institution in Masonry, was
created by a special committee of the Sioux City High Twelve club, the only
organization of its kind in the United States, at a meeting at the Chamber of
Commerce.

High
Twelve became a Masonic institution about a year ago in Sioux City, Iowa,
through the efforts of E. C. Wolcott, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. The
purpose of the club is to give the same opportunity to the younger Masons
afforded by similar luncheon clubs of the city. Aims of business organizations
were combined with the ideals of Masonry when High Twelve was created,
according to William M. Morheiser, secretary of the Sioux City club.

The
committee elected Mr. Wolcott, who is a member of the Sioux City High Twelve
club, president of the international organization. Mr. Morheiser was selected
as secretary. The office of treasurer in the international was given to A. E.
Rugg. Vice presidents elected by the committee include Carl T. Prime,
president of the local club, and S. Earl Gilliland, C. T. McClintock, Edwin
Fitzpatrick, Ray Larson, Fred R. Struble and Rex Hatfield.

Local
High Twelve clubs, by virtue of the inception of the international today, will
be organized immediately in cities throughout the country having a population
of 25,000 or more. It is likely the clubs will be started on a small scale and
developed with the aid of the Masonic influence, according to Mr. Morheiser.
The local club was formed by twenty-four enthusiasts, growing within the year
to a membership of 115.

"The
creation of the international organization here will be a great advertisement
to Sioux City, as High Twelve will bring to the attention of Masons throughout
the country the birthplace of the organization," Mr. Morheiser declared.
"Headquarters of the international will be maintained here and all officers of
the club for this year will be Sioux City men. The step taken today is an
indication that High Twelve is rapidly assuming the same position as Rotary
and Kiwanis, both of which have influential international organizations.

"High
Twelve has only begun its activities in a large way, making remarkable
progress since its organization a year ago. It will be only a question of time
when it will become one of the most potent influences in Masonry. With this
end in view every effort will be made to make the club a success."

Mr.
Morheiser outlined the ideals and requisitions of the new organization at the
meeting.

"The
purpose of the international shall be to unite all members of Masonry in the
happy bonds of a social hour and program," he said, "that thereby they may
inform themselves in the truths of Masonry, to inspire, encourage and expand
those virtues which will aid in the upholding of the principles of good
government, in the advancement of education and in the upbuilding of its
members in honorable and successful living.

"The
membership of the international shall be limited to cities of 25,000 and
upward population and shall be for those groups of business, professional and
industrial men organized in local High Twelve clubs.

"The
number of charter members required for the organization of the local High
Twelve clubs shall be determined by the international and shall be based on
various factors of the particular city where the club is to be organized.

"Membership in the locals shall consist only of those men who have had three
or more degrees of Masonry and are in good standing at the time application is
made. While the club is not a Masonic club inherently, yet it is composed of
men who are bound together by the ties of Masonry.

"Officers
of the international shall be a president, five vice presidents, secretary,
treasurer and five trustees, and, as the organization develops, the
appointment of district governors over certain areas of the country will be
made. These officers shall constitute the governing board of the organization.

"The
first annual meeting of the international shall be held on the second
Wednesday in July, 1922, at a place designated by the governing board, and all
subsequent meetings shall be determined by a majority action of the convention
assembled at the annual meeting. The Headquarters of the club shall be in
Sioux City until such time as the governing board shall decree otherwise."

----o----

Hats off
!

Along the
street there comes

A blare
of bugles, a ruffle of drums,

A flash
of color beneath the sky;

Hats off
!

The flag
is passing byl

Blue and
crimson and white it shines

Over the
steel-tipped, ordered lines.

Hats off!

The
colors before us fly;

But more
than the flag is passing by.

Sea-fights and land-fights, grim and great,

Fought to
make and to save the State;

Weary
marches and sinking ships;

Cheers of
victory on dying lips;

Days of
plenty and years of peace;

March of
a strong land's swift increase,

Equal
justice, right and law,

Stately
honor and reverend awe,

Sign of a
nation great and strong

To ward
her people from foreign wrong:

Pride and
glory and honor - all

Live in
the colors to stand or fall.

Hats off!

Along the
street there comes

A blare
of bugles, a ruffle of drums;

And loyal
hearts are beating high;

Hats off!

The flag
is passing by!

- Henry
Holcomb Bennett.

----o----

"I hold
it as a changeless law,

From
which no soul can sway or swerve,

We have
that in us which will draw,

Whate'er
we need or most deserve."

- Ella
Wheeler Wilcox.

MONITORIAL SYMBOLISM OF THE THIRD DEGREE AND ITS APPLICATION TO EVERY DAY LIFE

BY BRO.
GEORGE DERN, P.G.M. UTAH

George
Henry Dern was born in Dodge County, Nebraska, September 8th, 1872, being the
second child of John and Elizabeth Dern, pioneer settlers of Nebraska, and
more recently prominent citizens of Utah.

He
received his education in the Hooper public schools, the Fremont Normal
College and the University of Nebraska. At various intervals during his
school life he had experience in the grain and lumber business, banking, and
in the County Treasurer's office.

At the
University he ranked high as a student and was prominent in athletics, being
captain of the football team in 1894. In December of that year, however, he
left college to go to Utah and engage in business. Arriving in Salt Lake City
he entered the employ of the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company as
bookkeeper, and subsequently became the treasurer of the concern. He became
General Manager of the Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines Company in 1902 until
these mines were worked out, in 1913, since which time he has been engaged in
other metal mining enterprises.

Brother
Dern has been active in literary and public affairs. He served the town of
Mercur as a member of its school board; and until several years ago was a
member of the Board of Governors of the Commercial Club of Salt Lake City. He
has been a member of the Utah State Senate for the past seven years, and is
also one of the inventors of the Holt-Dern ore roasting furnaces. He holds
membership in the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.

On June
7th, 1899, Brother Dern was married to Miss Lotta Brown of Fremont, Nebraska.
They have five children: Mary Joanna, aged 20, a senior at Vassar College;
John, aged 18, a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania; William Brown,
aged 14; Elizabeth Ida aged 7 and James George, aged 5.

He was
initiated in Wasatch Lodge No. 1, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 16th, 1897;
passed April 23rd, 1897, and raised May 7th, 1897. He served as Master of his
lodge in 1902. While at Mercur, although retaining his membership in his
mother lodge, he was the main cause of Rocky Mountain Lodge No. 11 becoming
one of the best in the jurisdiction, and in recognition of his services, was
made an honourary member, a distinction very seldom conferred in Utah.

Brother
Dern has been Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Texas near the Grand
Lodge of Utah since December 23rd, 1904. He received the Capitular degrees in
Utah Chapter No. 1, February 2nd, 1898; was created a Knight Templar in Utah
Commandery No. 1, March 22nd, 1898, and received the 32nd degree of the
Scottish Rite in Utah Consistory No. 1, November 17th, 1904. In the Grand
Lodge of Utah he was Grand Lecturer in 1910, and during the year 1911, while
Senior Grand Warden, he also discharged the duties of Grand Lecturer. In a
jurisdiction where any kind of ritual is forbidden, his proficiency, his
attention to details, his accurate memory and a happy faculty of instruction
were great factors in raising the esoteric work to its present standard.

He was
elected Senior Grand Warden, January 18th, 1911; Deputy Grand Master, January
17th, 1912, and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Utah January 22nd, 1913.

IN OUR
PROGRESS through the three degrees we have all been told that Masonry is "a
moral and progressive science." However accurate this statement may be, it is
hardly a satisfying, practical definition, such as is called for by the
practical nature of the assigned subject of this paper. Masonry may be
considered in two lights: first, in the light of its principles; and second,
in the light of its members. In the one aspect it is a great system of morals
- a series of idealistic teachings on right living. In the other aspect it is
an association of men - a society of friends and brothers - who receive these
teachings, adopt them as their fundamental rules of conduct, and thereby not
only enhance their own mental, moral, and spiritual well-being, but also exert
a salutary influence upon the world at large.

Not only
is Masonry a moral and progressive science, it is taught by degrees only. The
acquirement of knowledge is always gradual and cumulative. One thing must be
learned before another can be undertaken. We creep before we walk, and we
walk before we run. The seeker after light passes through three stages, the
beginner, the workman, and the master. A knowledge of the mysteries of Masonry
comes to him step by step, and is acquired only through his own labour and
study. The third degree symbolizes his attainment of such wisdom and
experience as were the original object of his quest.

The
lessons of Masonry are conveyed by means rituals, lectures and printed
monitors or books. In each of the degrees symbols are freely used. Indeed,
the entire language of Masonry is symbolical. It says one thing and means
something else. A symbol is anything that suggests an idea, whether it be a
picture, image, a letter, a word or a character. Thus the olive branch
suggests peace, the lily purity, the owl wisdom the lion courage. But a
symbol often conveys different thoughts to different persons. The picture of
a clenched fist signifies force, and arouses a train of thought on that
subject. To one mind it may suggest war, to another the power of steam, to
still another the energy of the human will, and so on through any number of
ramifications. Furthermore, symbols very often have a hidden or covered
meaning. The ignorant will translate them into terms of trivial and ordinary
things, whilst to the student and thinker they bring sublime and profound
thoughts.

The
subject of this paper covers a large number of symbols, and is therefore so
broad in its scope and so fertile in its suggestions that it is difficult to
confine the discussion within reasonable bounds, and yet mention all of the
symbols. Any one of them is capable of exciting ideas worthy of not one but
several dissertations. However, since the subject is entitled "Monitorial
Symbolism of the Third Degree and its Application to Every Day Life," the
discussion is definitely limited to extremely practical applications, and the
temptation to roam far into the field of speculation is inhibited at the
outset.

The
monitorial symbols of the Third Degree are the Three Steps, the Pot of
Incense, the Beehive, the Book of Constitutions Guarded by the Tyler's Sword,
the Sword Pointing to the Naked Heart, the All-Seeing Eye, the Anchor and Ark,
the Forty-seventh Problem of Euclid, the Hour Glass and the Scythe, We are
informed that the explanation of these symbols may be found in any of the
monitors that have been adopted by the Fraternity as text books. We are then
told that their symbolic teachings are almost infinite, and are admonished to
make ourselves familiar with the golden lessons of wisdom they contain.
Perhaps it is time we were paying some heed to this admonition, because it has
not been receiving the attention it deserves. How many times have we heard
the Worshipful Master say, "Search diligently, my brother, and you will find
their symbolic teachings almost infinite"? How many of us have sought
diligently? Nay, how many of us have ever once read the monitorial
dissertations on these symbols? Furthermore, how often are these symbols so
much as mentioned whether in lodge meetings or at our banquets where Masonic
subjects are discussed?

Perhaps
the study of the symbols has fallen into comparative disuse because their
lessons are to some extent incidentally taught to us in the lectures and
rituals, and we are so busy with the required subjects that we have no time
left for electives. And yet, a re-reading of the monitor more than ever
impresses one with the beauty and deep significance of the things there
printed. The reading of the monitor may be recommended to every Mason not as
a duty but as a pleasure, for it provides a mental treat that can not be found
elsewhere. And if one can get "far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife"
long enough to reflect and ponder upon them, so as to draw out their deeper
meanings, he will become fascinated by their elusive glimpses of another world
of thought. But here we collide with the limitation just mentioned. "The
madding crowd's ignoble strife." That means our every day life, does it not?
And the present task is to discuss the symbolism of the Third Degree in its
application to every day life.

Every day
life is, after all, simply life. What other life do we have? Our every day
contact with our fellow men in the rush and strain of business, our social
intercourse, our family relations, our work, our play, our pleasures, our
sorrows, our hopes and our disappointments, - that is life, and it is every
day life.

But still
there is truth in the intimation that in order to study out the application of
our symbols to that every day life we must get away from it, and go into
seclusion. That may sound paradoxical, but most of the great things of the
world are not thought out in the heat of conflict, but in the quiet of one's
chamber or out under the silent stars.

And so
let us not find fault with the solemn majesty of the truths expressed in our
monitors. They are the beacon lights that guide us on our stormy voyage
across an unknown sea, which many have sailed before us, but which we can not
really know until we have explored it for ourselves. All hail to the mariners
who have preceded us, and who have set up these beacon lights! But to
translate them into terms of ordinary, practical, every day life, is a
different task, although possibly no less useful.

THE THREE
STEPS

The Three
Steps are explained in three different ways in our lectures. Their more
general and fundamental significance is that they symbolize human progress
from a lower to a higher state.

Psychologists now have very generally agreed that acquired characteristics
cannot be inherited, or in other words, that a parent cannot transmit to his
child the mental or moral development which he may have achieved through
earnest effort. The child does not begin where the father left off; he begins
where the father began. It is therefore scientifically correct to say that
human nature does not change. So far as native intellect and strength of
character are concerned, the child today comes into the world with no more
powers than the child at the time of King Solomon. All men are created
equally ignorant but with unequal intellectual powers. The heights to which
one will rise, and the range of his moral and intellectual development, will
depend first upon his native traits, and then upon his environment and his
opportunities to profit by the accumulated wisdom and experience of the
centuries. The Greek philosophers, when we take into consideration their
limited knowledge of the natural sciences, exhibited a power of reasoning that
is the wonder and admiration of scholars today. The only difference is that in
our age - the age of books - we have easy access to the store of human
knowledge that has been piled up since the days of Socrates and Plato. With
our capacity to learn we quickly assimilate this knowledge, and are then
equipped to go on still further into the unknown. What a tremendous privilege
is ours to live in so wonderful an age! And this privilege imposes upon every
man a heavy responsibility, that of using his talents wisely so that they will
increase, instead of keeping them hidden and idle. The man who does not make
the largest possible use of the powers God has given him, and develop them to
their fullest extent, is false to his trust, and is wasting his life.

And so
the great lesson of the Three Steps is that they lead us ever upward to the
truth and the light. Bacon says, "But no pleasure is comparable to the
standing upon the vantage-ground of truth." As Masons, let the Steps lead us
up to the Truth, for the truth shall make us free.

The
practical application of this beautiful symbolism to every day life is
obvious. When we see the Three Steps there should come into our minds the
thought that it is our duty to progress. That means education, mental and
moral development, and the building of character.

Progress
is a great fundamental requirement of human life. To stand still is to
decay. If we would live a healthy, helpful life, we must unceasingly strive
to improve ourselves in body, mind and spirit. If we want the community in
which we live to go forward, we must be interested in everything that pertains
to the community life. Better schools, higher standards of education, public
morals, justice for the oppressed and unfortunate, equality of opportunity,
freedom of thought and conscience, in all of these things we should have a
zealous interest. Every community is simply a collection of individuals. If
each one does his part, collectively they will accomplish great things. But
if they all depend upon some one else to do it, nothing will get done, and the
community will draw shame upon its head.

THE POT
OF INCENSE

"The Pot
of Incense is an emblems of a pure heart, which is always an acceptable
sacrifice to Deity; and as this glows with fervent heat, so should our hearts
continually glow with gratitude to the great and beneficent Author of our
existence for the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy." So says the
monitor. A sentiment so lofty is not easily applied to the practical, prosaic
events of a busy day. To have a pure heart is to be true to yourself, true to
your best ideals, and honest with your thoughts. "To thine own self be true;
. . . Thou canst not then be false to any man." Living a life of deceit and
double-dealing never made any one happy. Riches or pleasures acquired in that
way bring only remorse, and eventually the soul cries out in anguish for that
peace of mind which is man's most precious possession, and which is the
companion of a pure heart.

Purity of
heart means conscientiousness, and that means sincerity. Without sincerity
there can be no real character. But sincerity alone is not enough. There
must go with it a proper degree of intelligence and love of one's fellows.
For example, a man may believe that the emotion of pity and the desire to
relieve the necessities of others is intrinsically noble and elevating, and he
indulges in indiscriminate giving, without realizing the evil consequences, in
the way of fraud, laziness, inefficiency and habitual dependence that his ill
considered acts produce upon those whom he intends to benefit. Again, a man
may be perfectly sincere in talking about the shortcomings of another, and he
may justify himself by saying he is telling nothing but the truth. But merely
because they are true is no reason why unpleasant and harmful things should be
told. To destroy a reputation is no way to aid a brother who has erred.
Better far to overlook his mistakes, and extend him a helping hand.

Without
multiplying examples, let it be understood that the truly conscientious man
must not simply be sincere, but he must have high ideals and standards, and
moreover he must not be satisfied with those standards. Rather he must revise
them from time to time, and that means self-examination, to see if he
possesses the love and courage that must go with sincerity in order to make
progress in building character. For in this direction again there must be
constant progress. To be content with what we have accomplished is fatal. As
James A. Garfield once said, "I must do something to keep my thoughts fresh
and growing. I dread nothing so much as falling into a rut and feeling myself
becoming a fossil."

THE
BEEHIVE

The
Beehive is known to all of us, whether we be Masons or not, as an emblem of
industry. Man, no less than the bee, is a working animal. The obligation to
work is laid upon all men, and upon none more strictly than upon Masons. Self
preservation is nature's first law, and that means work, for without work we
cannot have the food, clothing and shelter necessary to preserve our lives.
But work should not end there. To improve our opportunities, to achieve that
mental and moral advancement which is not only the capacity but the duty of
every man, means constant striving, unceasing toil.

It has
been said that Masonry laid down the first eight-hour law, for as E.A.'s we
are taught to divide the twenty-four hours of the day into three equal parts
whereby are found eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy
brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep.
But this is not an eight-hour day; it is a sixteen-hour day, for in addition
to putting in an eight-hour shift on our regular jobs, we are commanded to
devote another eight hours to the service of God and our fellow-men. The chief
reason for a short work day, such as is prescribed by our eight-hour laws, is
that it gives the individual time to improve himself in physique, intelligence
and morals, the neglect of any of which is bad for himself and for the State
of which he is a citizen. The man who uses the leisure afforded him by a
short work day to no better purpose than to sit around in idleness, wasting
his time and gossiping about his neighbours is worse than a fool, and would be
better off if he had to work twelve hours.

Useful
work is the means of salvation and idleness is the sure road to damnation, for
"the devil still some mischief finds for idle hands to do." The wise man is he
who keeps busy, but this does not necessarily mean that he should force
himself to do drudgery. No man is happy unless he finds pleasure in his work,
and an uncongenial task takes the joy out of life. But let a man become,
interested in his work and he will love it. An old banker was asked why he
did not retire. He replied, "Why should I retire? I do not know of anything
else out of which I could get half as much fun as staying right here and
running my bank." If you are so fortunate (or unfortunate!) as to own an
automobile, have, you never become so engrossed in doing a good job of washing
the car that you had to be called half a dozen times for dinner? I know a
chemist who recently decided to forego a fine fishing trip because he became
so interested in a line of experimentation that he preferred to stay at home
and work day and night in his laboratory.

Unfortunately, not all men find their employment so interesting and
fascinating, and they have not the power to chose a different occupation. A
very useful sort of work for some of these is play. The man who is engaged in
a sedentary occupation can do nothing better than to employ his spare time in
some form of physical exercise, for the benefit of his health, whether he does
it by playing golf, or tennis, going hunting or fishing, or by mowing the lawn
and cleaning up his premises. There is nothing quite so important to any man,
rich or poor, as good health, and if he has to play to keep healthy it is his
duty to play. He who sneers at you for wasting your time in play is not
necessarily a good counsellor. A sound mind in a sound body is the old axiom.
Inversely, a sickly body usually means a morbid, melancholy, misanthropic
mind. Keep yourself healthy.

The man
who does manual labour all day, on the other hand, will be wise to employ his
spare time in intellectual study, or stimulating social intercourse, such for
example as he can obtain by attending his Masonic lodge regularly. A good
plan for any man is to have a hobby, provided he keeps it within bounds, and
does not let it interfere with his business. If more of us made a hobby of
politics to the extent of keeping informed and doing our share as useful
citizens, we should probably have less occasion to find fault with the way
things are done. Among the fundamental precepts of Masonry is good
citizenship. The Mason, above all others, should be alive to the fact that in
a democracy the citizen has duties, as well as privileges. He who values his
liberty must help preserve it. The man who complacently pursues his self-centred
ease, or his busy chase of the dollar, and eschews or disdains public affairs,
should be branded as a slacker. It is the solemn duty of the citizen to answer
every call, and even at a sacrifice to himself, to do his part in conducting
the government of his school district, city, county, state and nation. He who
fails in that duty is no true American. and does not measure up to the
standard that Masonry sets for her votaries.

The
labour question, as it is termed has many angles, but Masons, who meet upon
the level regardless of rank or station, will surely agree that every man is
entitled to fair treatment as a human being. He is entitled to an opportunity
to earn a living, and hence unemployment is a public sin, which all of us
should seek to eradicate. He is entitled to fair wages, so that he and his
family may be able to live decently, and hence a living wage is a matter of
justice, not of charity or benevolence. He is entitled to reasonable hours of
work and proper working conditions, for it is neither right nor humane to
require him to ruin his health while he is earning his living. He is entitled
to a decent home, for the home is the foundation of our civilization, and how
can we expect to produce good citizens unless the home is reasonably
comfortable and attractive? And he is entitled to the opportunity to play, to
learn, to worship, and to live. These things should not be the privileges of
the rich, - they should be the rights of every man without question. And when
they are fully guaranteed to the workingman there will be less strife between
labour and capital, and less division of the people into classes.

THE BOOK
OF CONSTITUTIONS GUARDED BY THE TYLER'S SWORD

The Book
of Constitutions Guarded by the Tyler's Sword symbolizes silence and
circumspection. Masonically it refers to keeping inviolate our secrets, but in
a general way silence is a virtue to be cultivated. Talk less and think more
is often good advice. Carlyle, Maeterlinck and others have written inspiringly
of silence and the great silent men, and from childhood we have been told that
"still, waters run deep." Like many other things, however, silence can be
overdone, and it is more likely to be a cloak for ignorance and stupidity than
a sign of deep thinking. The owl has a reputation for wisdom that is wholly
undeserved. We learn by talking no less than by listening. One of America's
greatest educators once said, "Tell a man how to do a thing, and he will not
know how to do it; show him how by doing it before his eyes, and he still will
not know how to do it. The only way for him really to learn is by doing it
himself." Scientific educators have similarly learned that although a man may
have thought out a proposition by pondering over it long and deeply, he never
really knows it thoroughly until he has expressed it, either verbally or in
writing. The desire to express our ideas is a natural one, and it should be
fostered and encouraged. To be sure, we should all do well to make sure that
our ideas are sound and well matured before we utter them. The nuisance who
indulges in incessant chatter without telling me anything new or interesting,
not only wastes his own time but mine also, and he has neither reputation nor
influence. I soon get his measure, and am apt to jump at the unfair
conclusion that he who talks most has least to say. But this does not change
the general truth that self-expression is not only one of man's innate desires
but it has a great educative value.

THE SWORD
POINTING TO THE NAKED HEART

The Sword
Pointing to the Naked Heart is calculated to remind us that no matter what we
do, justice will sooner or later overtake us. Many people seem to think of
the law of compensation is a pretty fancy evolved by Ralph Waldo Emerson, but
in God's good time they will learn that this is one of His inexorable laws.
It never fails to operate, and a day of reckoning is sure to come to the man
who does not act on the square. To undertake to evade the law of compensation
is to try to cheat the Almighty, and the man who has no better sense than that
is hopeless.

The idea
of justice carries with it the thought of punishment for wrong-doing, which is
one of the unsolved problems of the race. The old theory was to make the
punishment fit the crime, and most people still instinctively put punishment
on a retributive rather than on a corrective basis, and also subscribe to
Montaigne's dictum that "we do not correct the man we hang; we correct others
by him." These are the orthodox beliefs, but their validity has begun to be
challenged. There are those who insist that it is unjust to treat A with
undue harshness in order to deter B from committing a crime, but that each
should be answerable only for his own acts.

However,
there has been gradual improvement in the matter of punishment, on the theory
that it is better to reform an offender than through excessive severity to
make him a confirmed, vicious evil doer. Juvenile delinquents in particular
are being treated in a more enlightened manner. Training and opportunity are
taken into consideration in determining their guilt. Also, it is now deemed
proper to pass upon the intent of the law-breaker, youthful or adult, as well
as upon his act.

In
judging and punishing older criminals progress is being made in several
directions. Under the old system every prison might as well have had inscribed
over its portals, "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Indeterminate
sentences and paroles have effaced that barbarous motto. Dividing offenders
into classes according to the seriousness of their transgressions and
separation of those who are guilty of a first or a more or less accidental
offense from the old and hardened criminal, are also alleviating some of the
evils of the old-fashioned jail and penitentiary. Further, the introduction
of education, industrial training and recreation into prisons, and securing
employment for the released, are features of the new reformative spirit.

There are
very few so-called criminals who are wholly bad. This fact is being
recognized, and the tendency is not to embitter and harden the offender by the
punishment that is meted out to him, but through intelligent, humane and
sympathetic treatment to regain the more deserving ones to useful citizenship.

THE
ALL-SEEING EYE

The
All-Seeing Eye is a symbol of an omniscient and omnipresent Deity. There are
many different conceptions of what God is. To the mind of one person He may be
a personal being, reigning as a king from throne in Heaven, from whom we may
seek special favours according to the wishes or whims of our feeble human
judgments. To another person He is an infinite spirit of truth and justice,
ruling through fixed laws, and the way to serve Him is learn and obey those
laws. Any sort of a theological discussion would be highly improper in a
Masonic discourse, still the All-Seeing Eye is a very practical emblem. If it
teaches us to live in the consciousness that our every act, our most secret
thought, is beheld by that All Seeing Eye whose favour we crave, whether we
call it God or conscience, then alone can we have that purity of heart which
we are presumed to possess.

THE
ANCHOR AND ARK

The
Monitor explains that "the Anchor and Ark are emblems of a well-grounded hope
and a well-spent life. They are emblematical of that Divine Ark which safely
wafts us over this tempestuous sea of troubles, and that Anchor which shall
safely moor us in a peaceful harbour, where the wicked cease from troubling
the weary are at rest."

Without
hope, life would not be worth living. We all perform tasks in the hope that
the future holds good things in store for us. When we are beset with troubles
and sorrows we still have to some extent the attitude of that ancient
philosopher whose motto was, "This too will pass away." But the man who simply
lives in hopes without putting forth the necessary effort to make his hopes
come true is a weak creature. "God helps those who help themselves," is an
old adage that is apropos in this connection. Or, as Haliburton puts it,
"Hope is a pleasant acquaintance, but an unsafe friend. Hope is not the man
for your banker, although he may do for a travelling companion." There is a
world of practical wisdom in that homely quotation. Depend less on hope or
luck and more on your own efforts, and you will get farther.

THE
FORTY-SEVENTH PROBLEM OF EUCLID

"The
Forty-Seventh Problem of Euclid teaches Masons to be general lovers of the
arts and sciences." Herbert Spencer once asked the question, "What knowledge
is of the most worth?" and then he proceeded to answer it proving that from
every standpoint science is the most valuable knowledge.

Our
school days are over, but our whole life is a school. We are learning every
day, and our education is never complete. Many of us have no teacher but
experience, best of all teachers, if not the only teacher. The miner who does
not somehow acquaint himself with the fundamentals of geology and the theory
of ore deposits will not make much of a success in seeking out the treasures
of the earth. The boilermaker who does not study expansion and contraction,
and stresses and strains, will not build a safe boiler. The painter who does
not make a study of the chemical composition of his pigments and their effect
upon the substance he is supposed to protect will never be more than a smearer,
who will have a poor chance of satisfying his customers. The bookkeeper who
does not understand the science of accounting is of no value to his employer.
The farmer who does not recognize that agriculture is a highly scientific and
technical pursuit is rapidly becoming a back number. When a man has acquired
a scientific knowledge of his work it becomes interesting to him and he loves
it; and when a man loves his work he will succeed in it.

THE HOUR
GLASS

The Hour
Glass is an emblem of the flight of time and the wasting away of our lives.
At first the grains of sand are all in the upper compartment, and they seem to
run very slowly. Gradually it dawns upon us that they are running faster and
faster until we can imagine with a sort of terror that they are going with a
rush and a roar to the end. Oh, those priceless hours! How we cherish them
then!

Of all
our symbols there is none more practical than the Hour Glass, and none which
bears so directly upon our every day life. Every one of us has twenty-four
hours of time each day, no one has more, no one has less. It is the most
precious of all possessions, for out of it, as Arnold Bennett says, man must
get health, pleasure, money, content, respect and the evolution of his
immortal soul. "Its right use, its most effective use, is a matter of the
highest urgency and of the most thrilling actuality. Your happiness - the
elusive prize that you are all clutching for, my friend! - depends on that."
Wasting time is a greater folly than wasting money, for wasted money may be
regained, but an hour waged is lost forever. Then how important it is so to
regulate our lives that every hour will count. There is nothing so depressing
as to be constantly haunted by the sense of wanting to do something and never
getting it done. It shows that one's time is not being properly economized,
one's life is not correctly adjusted. It is futile to say that we will do
this or that when we have a little more time, because we have all the time
there is right now, and we shall never have any more.

Too many
of us think of the hours we spend in the office or shop as the day. Those
eight hours, plus the eight we spend in sleep, make only sixteen hours, hence
we still have another eight hours which are just as much a part of the day,
and just as much a part of our lives as the shift we put in on our jobs.
These precious eight hours we are largely free to devote to the cultivation of
our minds, souls, bodies and fellow men. And so the Hour Glass not only
teaches us to be efficient in the tasks out of which we make our living, but
it also teaches us wisely to employ those other hours in which we do a large
part of our living.

THE
SCYTHE

The
Scythe reminds us that the Grim Reaper is steadily drawing nearer, and that
sooner or later we must fall before his strokes. Death always has a sort of
morbid fascination for humankind, and even our Masonic ceremonies frequently
and eloquently refer to this solemn subject.

By
learning and obeying the laws of health and deducing rules for the
prolongation of human life, we may ward off the fatal day for a little while,
and possibly minimize the terrors which death has for every normal person. And
this is a duty to the performance of which we all should devote our energies.
The average man owes it to his family, at least, to give it his support and
counsel as long as he possibly can. The fatalist, who says the hour of every
man's death is predetermined is a lazy, shiftless weakling, who refuses to put
forth the necessary effort for his own self-preservation, and when his family
is needlessly robbed of the subsistence which it is his duty to provide, he
has the audacity to shift the responsibility to the Almighty. To neglect or
wilfully disobey the rules of health is therefore nothing short of a crime,
which no good man will commit.

But the
end must come to all:

-"Yet a
few days, and thee

The
all-beholding sun shall see no more

In all
his course."

And how
are we using the few days that are given us and that are so soon to pass away?

"We live
in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;

In
feelings, not in figures on a dial.

We should
count time by heart-throbs. He most lives

Who
thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

THE
TEACHINGS OF MASONRY

BY BRO.
H.L. HAYWOOD, IOWA

The following paper is one of a series of articles on
"Philosophical Masonry," or “The Teachings of Masonry," by Brother Haywood, to
be used for reading and discussion in lodges and study clubs - From the
questions following each section of the paper the study club leader should
select such as he may desire to use in bringing out particular points for
discussion. To go into a lengthy discussion on each individual question
presented might possibly consume more time than the lodge or study club may be
able to devote to the study club meeting.

In conducting the study club meetings the leader should
endeavor to hold the discussions closely to the tenet of the paper and not
permit the members to speak too long at one time or to stray onto another
subject. Whenever it becomes endent that the discussion is turning from the
original subject the leader should request the members to make notes of the
particular points or phases of the matter they may wish to discuss or inquire
into and bring them up after the last section of the paper is disposed of.

The meetings should be closed with a "Question Box" period,
when such questions as may have come up during the meeting and laid over until
this time should be entered into and discussed. Should any questions arise
that cannot be answered by the study club leader or some other brother
present, these questions may be submitted to us and we will endeavor to answer
them for you in time for your next meeting.

Supplemental references on the subjects treated in this paper
will be found at the end of the article.

PART VI -
INITIATION AND SECRECY

MANY a
man has left the Masonic lodge room after the last night of his initiation
with the feeling that what he has seen and heard has all been very interesting
and impressive but also very queer: it has been so entirely different from the
other experiences of his life that it all seems unreal, a strange piece of
formality, as if somebody had devised it as an ornate but formal way of
getting a man inducted into Masonry. It is no wonder that many who go away
with such impressions never again take much interest in the ceremonies of
initiation. What such a man needs is to have brought home to him that which
is the main contention of this present series of studies, namely, that
initiation, along with all the more important features of our Craft, is not a
strange thing arbitrarily devised by somebody for ornamental and ceremonial
purposes, but normal, and natural, and inevitable, just as natural as the
blowing wind or the falling snow. Initiation is something that has been in
universal use from the beginning of the world and it is therefore as human a
piece of business as anything that we do, albeit not so common perhaps.

How many
reasons can you think of for the general indifference to the ritual among
members? Did you accept the ritualistic part of your initiation as a
perfunctory ceremony? Does the ritual sound to you like a manufactured thing?
Do you believe, as Albert Pike seemed sometimes to believe, that certain
things in the ritual were devised to conceal Masonic teachings ?

Instead
of approaching the matter in the abstract it is well to begin by observing
just what happens to a candidate during the process of his initiation into
Freemasonry. First of all, he signs a paper setting for certain important
facts about himself: then he participates in the "work" for three nights: he
binds him by a solemn obligation to do certain things and not do certain other
things: he takes the oath of secrecy which covers the ceremonies and also what
may be said or done in lodge at any time: he contracts to give financial
support to the Craft according to its laws thereon: he enters into a new
relation with a large group of men who have been similarly initiated and
sworn; and he places himself for life under a set of very definite and very
noble influences. One could add to this list but as it is it is sufficient to
recall to our minds just what is actually done through the process of
initiation; and it is perfectly plain that, except for some words and actions
in the ceremonies, there is nothing in all this to give anybody the slightest
feeling that it is strange or formal: it is all as real and as natural as
conducting a day's business. This is something worth remembering because many
who have approached the subject of initiation from a merely abstract and
theoretical position are very apt to give us impossible theories of the
matter, land us in difficulties, and make us believe that Masonic initiation
is something very esoteric or occult: as a matter of actual fact it is nothing
of the kind.

I have
said that during the ceremonies incidental to initiation some things are done
and said that do see queer to any man when first he encounters them. But even
these elements in our "mysteries" are not there for any fantastic or unreal
purpose: they are there because we have inherited them from the past, and
because they still have for us such valuable meanings that we continue to hold
to them. If there is anything in the ritual that seems fantastic to a man he
needs only to study the history of the same to have such an impression
obliterated.

The
unfortunate thing is that many candidates pass through the entire process of
initiation without being affected to any depth at all. Why is this? Very
often it is the candidate's own fault. Before entering, or even seeking to
enter, such an institution as Freemasonry he should learn something about it;
at least a little of its history, and as much as possible about its present
activities. And then, after he has passed through the initiation ceremonies,
he should stop long enough to find out what it all means. A man to be
impressed by anything must do his own part: nothing can act as a substitute
for his own brains, feelings, and actions. Moreover, Masonic initiation is a
blessing, carrying with it many precious privileges, and it is therefore worth
something of an effort on the part of a man who seeks it.

How would
you define "initiation"? Can you furnish examples of initiation drawn from
general society outside secret orders? What do you consider the most important
features of Masonic initiation? Do you consider the obligation legally binding
on a member? Did initiation strike you as being "queer"? If so, what parts of
it? Do you accept Brother Haywood's explanation of the strangeness of some
parts of the ceremony? What did you know about Freemasonry before you sought
admission to it? Do you recall anything in the ritual which assumes that you
made a study of Masonry before submitting your application ?

In all
other cases the poor effect of initiation is due to the carelessness of the
lodge. A ritual cannot be satisfactorily administered in a mechanical way, as
if all one hid to do was to turn the crank of a mill. Nor can it ever be a
cut-and-dried thing which needs no thought and initiative behind it. No lodge
has a right to shove a man through three degrees and then turn him loose
without first endeavouring to instruct him in the meaning of it all, without
trying to bring home to him what it was designed to do. The whole process
should be made one of the most crucial experiences of the candidate's life,
one that he can never forget, one that will change him to the centre of his
being, else it is not a real initiation at all, but an imitation.

For
consider what takes place inside a man when initiation has been a success.
The word itself suggests a "new birth." The experience, whenever it actually
occurs, is a profound one. It is like the crisis of adolescence when a boy
finds himself passing through a mysterious change that throws his whole being
into turmoil; he grows moody; his beard makes its appearance; his voice
changes; he gets a new expression in his face; his muscles develop; his
interests change; he begins to take more interest in the opposite sex; he is
no longer a boy but a young man. Or it is like the moral and spiritual change
which comes over a man who passes through the religious experience known as
"conversion" or "regeneration"; he finds himself with a new set of interests;
he behaves differently to his family and his fellows; he forms new habits,
such as prayer and church attendance; he has a new feeling about God; new
beliefs about the great questions that concern man; he calls himself a "new"
man. He has been initiated into the religious life, which is to him a new
world of experience, and he can never again become what he was, even though
all these new interests fade away.

Can you
furnish examples of a "new birth" other than adolescence and religious
"conversion"? Do you suppose that some men went through a genuine "conversion"
during the Great War so far as regards their allegiance to the German side?
What brought about such conversion? Can a genuine change in a man's life be
brought about by a mere ceremony, a mere formality? If many Masons in your
lodge are worthless as Masons how do you explain their lack of the Masonic
life? Why did initiation fail in their cases?

Masonic
initiation is intended to be quite as profound and as revolutionizing an
experience. As a result of it the candidate should become a new man: he
should have a new range of thought; a new feeling about mankind; a new idea
about God; a new confidence in immortality; a new passion for brotherhood, a
new generosity and charity. The whole purpose of the ritual, of the symbols,
of all that is done and said, is solemnly to bring about such a transformation
in the man. If initiation does not accomplish something of this it is a
failure; if it does accomplish it, that fact should forever silence those who
have looked upon it as an elaborate and expensive piece of formalism.

Have you
ever heard men argue against the rightness of secrecy in Masonry? what
arguments have you heard? how did you answer them? What part does secrecy play
in your business? in your home? in your friendships? Why did Operative Masons
hedge themselves about with secrecy? What is a "trade" secret? Did you ever
try to remove the hoodwink of Masonic ignorance from a brother Mason? how did
you go about it?

Secrecy
is so prominent a characteristic of Freemasonry that often in literature we
find the latter word used as a synonym of the former, as when we read how a
circle of friends were so intimate that there was a "kind of freemasonry"
among them. To some this is most objectionable because they deem it beneath
the dignity of a great Order to conceal its functionings behind so opaque a
veil: or they think that what must be so effectually hidden must contain some
taint, or have anti-social influences. "If it is good and noble," so they
say, "why hide your light under a bushel? if your hidden actions are
reprehensible then is all your secrecy an elaborate hypocrisy! or it may be
that all your secrecy is merely an elaborate bit of child's play designed to
appeal to curiosity mangers. In any event our best public institutions, the
church, school, public hospitals, libraries, and even our political
governments, have no need of such a veil." The fallacy underlying these
objections is that the objectors do not know that Masonic secrecy is a
peculiar kind of secrecy designed and preserved expressly for the needs of
such an institution.

Anyhow,
there is nothing objectionable or unfamiliar about secrecy; it is a human
necessity found everywhere, and often where it is not apparently in evidence
it will be found on examination to equal or even exceed that which lies about
the gateways of our Fraternity. Nothing is more zealously guarded than the
home. The directors of a business corporation keep their deliberations to
themselves. Friendship is based on mutual confidence and that means much
secrecy. Governments are very public in function but they are still obliged to
carry on many of their activities behind the scenes. Indeed, what would life
be without this honourable kind of concealment! how would any man endure to go
about in the world with all his inner life exposed to view like the goods in a
show window!

Freemasonry partakes of the nature of this more common kind of secrecy, but
there is secrecy and secrecy, and one variety of it is one about which we do
not often think: I refer to that which is as yet unknown to us, not because we
are shut out from it, but because we are not yet prepared or equipped to learn
it. Music is a terra incognito to one who knows not one note from another,
and can not recognize a tune. Literature is a vast unknown to the
illiterate. Chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, or any of the sciences,
what a "freemasonry" is it in which they exist! for they are revealed only to
the initiated. They are not hidden from us by any arbitrary authority: they
are hidden because we wear the hoodwink of ignorance. Much of our Masonic
secrecy is of this character. As a matter of fact it is surprising how little
of it there is that can not be published to outsiders: the contents of this
journal from month to month bear witness to that! but there is a vast deal of
it that remains unknown even to its own initiates because they have as yet
made no effort to learn it.

Also,
Masonic secrecy exists for certain definite purposes. The Fraternity itself
exists in order to keep fixed on a man a certain set of influences, and in
order to bring about certain changes in the world, etc.: its secrecy is a
means to that end, and helps to make such a purpose possible. If a lodge room
were as open to the general public as a street corner all that goes
specifically by the name of Masonry would necessarily vanish and the very
purpose for which the Order exists would be defeated.

Experience teaches this fact as well as reflection. The Order has existed in
one form or another for we know not how many centuries, and it has always been
a secret society. Other modern fraternities have found secrecy equally
necessary. So also with fraternities in earlier times. The Mysteries hedged
themselves about in the most elaborate fashion. The Collegia held their
meetings behind tyled doors. The Christian church, in at least one period of
its history, did the same; and so did the numberless guilds of Medieval
Europe.

Has
Freemasonry anything to conceal from its enemies? what? What things in
Masonry, according to your own understanding of it, are necessarily kept
secret? Could Masonry continue to exist without secrecy? Why? What are the
attractions of secrecy to the human mind? Can you name a great political party
that once existed in the United States that was organized as a secret society?
why was it thus organized? why did it abandon its secrecy? Can you name a
great political movement in Italy of the mid-nineteenth century which was
similarly organized? Do you think that the example of Masonry had anything to
do with these political secret societies? Would you call the Order of the
Jesuits a secret society?

There is
a psychology of secrecy, the discussion of which is recommended to students
and to study club though little space is available for it here. What we value
we instinctively guard. Curtains are drawn before the more intimate things of
life. Even religion, to a majority of individuals, is a thing for the closet
rather than for the public stage, and many a man would rather be thought an
infidel than be caught at prayer. In all these, and in scores of cases like
them, secrecy is used as a screen whereby to protect sensitive feelings. In
many other equally familiar cases secrecy employed to awaken the desire to
explore, the curiosity to know; it stimulates a man to make search for that
which is presented to him as a mystery. One may see Masonic secrecy affecting
the minds of brethren in the lodge room in both these ways: some are happy to
be there because they can give expression to thoughts, to ideals, and to
aspirations, often religious, among trusted brethren: and some are there
because the veil thrown about our mysteries has enticed them to try to lift
it.

To my own
mind the noblest effect of Masonic secrecy is found in the atmosphere of
kindliness which it throws about all the operations of brotherly aid and
charity. The unfortunate member is often helped almost without himself
knowing whence his succour comes; there is no publishing abroad of the
affliction; the thing is not bragged about; usually the object of this charity
does not even make an application: like the stretching forth of a gentle hand
he feels himself supported in such wise that his pride needs not to sink to
the level of his fortunes. If Masonic secrecy did nothing else it would be
abundantly justified to every delicate and charitable mind.

While
keeping all this in mind it is also well to remember that, after all, Masons
themselves sometimes do not understand this, the secrecy of the Craft, aside
from the single matter of its charity, is almost wholly concerned with method
rather than with matter. If one will carefully consider the oath of secrecy he
made while taking his obligation he will find that he is not in anywise to
reveal to others aught of the initiatory ceremony, or of what may be said in
lodge: but he is not sworn to keep secret that which Freemasonry really is!
Its principles, its history, its spirit, its ideals, its purposes and
programs, he may publish to the world and the more he publishes them the
better.

Do you
believe that in the Study Club department of THE BUILDER we have discussed the
ritual too openly? Just what does the obligation to secrecy cover? Do you know
about the charitable activities of your own lodge? Do you believe the charity
should be secret? why? Could public charity be similarly veiled? how? Can you
think of a single teaching or principle of Masonry that has not been given to
the world over and over again? Can you explain why the whole Order would pass
out of existence if its secrecy were to be destroyed?

"The
Bulletin Course of Masonic Study," of which the foregoing paper by Brother
Haywood is a part, was begun in THE BUILDER early in 1917. Previous to the
beginning of the present series on "Philosophical Masonry," or "The Teachings
of Masonry," as we have titled it, were published some forty-three papers
covering in detail "Ceremonial Masonry" and "Symbolical Masonry" under the
following several divisions: "The Work of a Lodge," "The Lodge and the
Candidate," "First Steps," "Second Steps," and "Third Steps." A complete set
of these papers up to January 1st, 1921, are obtainable in the bound volumes
of THE BUILDER for 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920, and the remaining papers of the
series may be had in the 1921 bound volume which will be ready for delivery
early in December. Single copies of 1921 back numbers are not obtainable, our
stock having become exhausted.

Following
is an outline of the subjects covered by the current series of study club
papers by Brother Havwood:

THE
TEACHINGS OF MASONRY

1. -
General Introduction. - A. Reasons for a course explaining what the "teachings
of Masonry" mean. - B. How one can arrive at his own Philosophy of Masonry. -
Conclusion. The Philosophy of Masonry is not a study of philosophy in general,
but a study of Masonry such as a philosopher gives to any great intellectual
problem.

2. - The
Masonic Conception of Human Nature.

3. - The
Idea of Truth in Freemasonry.

4. - The
Masonic Conception of Education.

5. -
Ritualism and Symbolism.

6. -
Initiation and Secrecy.

7. -
Masonic Ethics.

8. -
Equality.

9. -
Liberty.

10. -
Democracy.

11. -
Masonry and Industry.

12. - The
Brotherhood of Man.

13. - The
Fatherhood of God.

14. -
Endless Life.

15. -
Brotherly Aid.

16. -
Schools of Masonic Philosophy.

This
systematic course of Masonic study has been taken up and carried out in
monthly and semi-monthly meetings of lodges and study clubs all over the
United States and Canada, and in several instances in lodges overseas.

The
course of study has for its foundation two sources of Masonic information, THE
BUILDER and Mackey's Encyclopedia.

HOW TO
ORGANIZE AND CONDUCT STUDY CLUB MEETINGS

Study
clubs may be organized separate from the lodge, or as a part of the work of
the lodge. In the latter case the lodge should select a committee, preferably
of three "live" members who shall have charge of the study club meetings. The
study club meetings should be held at least once a month (excepting during
July and August, when the study club papers are discontinued in THE BUILDER),
either at a special communication of the lodge called for the purpose, or at a
regular communication at which no business (except the lodge routine) should
be transacted - all possible time to be devoted to study club purposes.

After the
lodge has been opened and all routine business disposed of, the Master should
turn the lodge over to the chairman of the study club committee. The committee
should be fully prepared in advance on the subject to be discussed at the
meeting. All members to whom references for supplemental papers have been
assigned should be prepared with their material, and should also have a
comprehensive grasp of Brother Haywood's paper by a previous reading and study
of it.

PROGRAM
FOR STUDY CLUB MEETINGS

1.
Reading of any supplemental papers on the subject for the evening which may
have been prepared by brethren assigned such duties by the chairman of the
study club committee.

2.
Reading of the first section of Brother Haywood's paper.

3.
Discussion of this section, using the questions following this section to
bring out points for discussion.

4. The
subsequent sections of the paper should then be taken up and disposed of in
the same manner.

5.
Question Box. Invite questions on any subject in Masonry, from any and all
brethren present. Let the brethren understand that these meetings are for
their particular benefit and enlightenment and get them into the habit of
asking all the questions they may be able to think of. If at the time these
questions are propounded no one can answer them, send them in to us and we
will endeavor to supply answers to them in time for your next study club
meeting.

FURTHER
INFORMATION

The
foregoing information should enable study club committees to conduct their
meetings without difficulty. However, if we can be of assistance to such
committees, or any individual member of lodges and study clubs at any time
such brethren are invited to feel free to communicate with us.

----o----

NATURE'S
BEST BOTH THEN AND NOW

BY BRO.
L. B. MITCHELL, MICHIGAN

And Moses
went out to meet his father in law and did obedience and kissed him; and they
asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent. - Exodus 18:7.

And they
asked each other anxiously the old "how do you do,"

The
other's welfare seemed to be the thought that thrilled them through,-

They
seemed to be just common folks before the throng that day,

And
greetings over, to the tent they straightway took their way.

And this,
so beautiful because so homelike and so sweet

And rare
of those who held such trusts upon this precious meet

Stands
out as nature's best expressed when it was just the same

As it is
with us all today who play its splendid game.

And
somehow, too, this greeting brings a message that reveals

The
humanness that goes so far, though too oft 'tis concealed

Behind
the rush of every day, behind the sordid care

Which,
broken through would bring a bit of heart most anywhere.

And
really what is there of earth that holds so much of cheer

As what
we find in other's lives while "faring on" right here?

Does it
not hold the best that is to human nature given

To make
of any place a place that's worth the names of heaven?

EDITORIAL

PEACE ON
EARTH

IT
APPEARS an unspeakable mockery that now after nineteen centuries of
Christianity the world seems as far as ever from the realization of that old
haunting poetry, "Peace on earth, good will to men!" At the moment of writing,
all the superior Christian nations, with the possible exception of our own,
are struggling to recover their strength after the most terrible war in the
annals of the race: and those nations that have never known the cross are also
struggling in the maelstrom created by the war. And as for the future, it is
as dark, and perhaps darker, than the past. In spite of the bitter lessons of
1914, European statesmen went into secret cabal and patched up a so-called
peace that is as full of the seeds of strife as the most dishonest pact
barbaric tribes ever entered into. It is all a huge pity and a shame and it is
little wonder that at this moment there is more skepticism, cynicism,
pessimism, and despair in the earth than there has been since Napoleon wrecked
Europe a hundred years ago.

And yet,
why should we despair! Manhood is not exhausted, nor is wisdom less
efficacious than in the morning of the world, and God still reigns. The times
need good sense, sagacity, and a persistent application of intelligence to the
problems of international relations. Not by supernatural means, or by good
luck, or by the leadership of any one individual, will things be righted, but
by wisdom and righteousness.

The
Disarmament Conference, whatever may be its ultimate outcome, is one ray of
wisdom shining athwart the darkness, and in its light will Christmas seem a
brighter time to millions of our fellows. There is no need to rehearse the
evils of war: it is not a bitter medicine good to put blood into peoples as
the Junkers taught; nor a method whereby the backward spaces of the world may
be brought under the sway of civilization; nor is it, as politicians with such
pitiable fatuity seem still to believe, the one means of settling differences
between nations: it is a criminal and quite useless expedient, worthy to
compare for folly with the old practices of witchcraft and burning heretics at
the stake.

The evils
of war are felt quite as much in times of so-called peace as during the years
of actual fighting, albeit in a different form: for it is necessary to keep on
drilling soldiers, building battleships, and making guns. What is needed is to
uproot the thing as a whole out of our civilization and frankly admit to
ourselves every one that nothing could be more foolish than such a business.

As long
as armies and navies exist diplomats will play a dirtier game than they would
otherwise, because they use their military power as one of their trump cards.
The keeping prepared itself is a demoralizing thing, especially where
militarism is made a profession as was the case in Germany and is now in
Japan. Predacious wealth, knowing that it has an army to back itself withal,
is ten times more unscrupulous than it would otherwise be. The being prepared
for war, like battle itself, is a financial loss not to be computed: the
value, created by labor and brains for such purposes, is utterly lost, and the
world is behind just that much. The life of the soldier living in peace-time
barracks is quite as much lost to civilization as if he were killed in
fighting, because he consumes much but produces nothing. Compared with war and
the keeping ready for war, all other evils are mere peccadillos.

However,
we are all in it, and, like Laocoon, have its coils tightly about us, and much
wisdom is needed to escape from the dragon. As things now are it would be very
ill considered, it would appear, for our own nation to lay down its own arms
so long as all the other great powers keep theirs. Would not a land so rich
and so defenseless inflame militaristic people with irrepressible desires for
conquest? Our helplessness might of itself become a cause for more strife. The
better plan is President Harding's plan: let all the powers agree to disarm
together. If after such a step as that the lesser nations were to cling to
their guns and T.N.T. they can easily be brought into line by economic means,
which are quite as efficacious in their way as blowing up cities with
dynamite.

The evil
of war is a virus that spreads to every part of the world's organism. No one
mind is capable of tracing its ramifications hither and thither, because its
baneful effects are as wide and as complicated as civilization itself. War is
to the world as a whole what drunkenness is to an individual: nothing can be
normal ; nowhere can there be the joy, the power, the wisdom, and the nobility
of human living that there might otherwise be.

John
Morgan Robertson has well said that "Civilization progresses by the contact of
cultures." Each nation has something to give to its sister nations and will
give it, unless hatred and strife, such as now divides Europe, blocks the way.
Freemasonry has ever held that fact in the center of its vision. It has prayed
and worked for a united world for it knows that not otherwise will the nations
be blessed because it is only when sister peoples live in harmony with each
other that blessedness can exist. "How good and pleasant a thing it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity." The kingdom of heaven is the human race
living happily together. To bring about that consummation is quite possible,
and it is possible along the lines laid down in the Masonic philosophy. What
is needed is not miracle or militarism, but ordinary human wisdom and good
sense: in other word, Light. God speed the day when that simple available
Light will come, when it will all come, when it will come to all ! and may
this Christmas season remind us all how easily it may come, if only we shall
one and all open our minds to receive it!

* * *

PROVINCIAL MASONS

In one of
the many rich pages from the pen of Brother Delmar D. Darrah we have come upon
this wise statement:

"It is
unfortunate that we have in the Masonic fraternity men whose knowledge of
Freemasonry is limited to that which they have acquired and learned within the
borders of their own jurisdiction."

Unfortunate it is, and that for many reasons. These same men are often so
ignorant of Masonry at large that they do not even know that Grand Lodges are
each one sovereign in its own jurisdiction and that among themselves they all
differ in a thousand points, no to ritual, practice, landmarks, laws, and what
not. Consequently they judge Masonic practice the world over by their own
local practice because they believe it to be everywhere the same; and when
some large movement is born, fraught with every promise of great good to the
Craft, they may like as not oppose it for no other reason than the mere fact
that in their own state they have not been doing it.

Still
more unfortunate, so it may be believed, is the ignorance of such men
concerning the history of the Fraternity. Acting on the supposition that what
is always has been, because Masonry cannot change, they become obstructionists
and servants of tradition, the letter of which always kills, and lift up their
voices against some of the solidest proposals that our wisest leaders can
propose because such things are new to themselves.

If the
Masonic leaders in all our states would read one good history of Masonry, and
would then for three years hand running take the trouble to read the Report on
Fraternal Correspondence in the Proceedings of each Grand Lodge, what a boon
it would be to all !

THE
LIBRARY

"THE
EVOLUTION OF FREEMASONRY"

ONE
SEEKING a quiet nook for refreshment, especially if he be a Mason, can
discover much blessing in Delmar Duane Darrah's book, The Evolution of
Freemasonry. I had travelled but a little way ere I became impressed with the
charm of it. The author has succeeded ion his endeavor "to lift the society
out of the realm of speculation and mysticism and to account for it as the
result of those natural causes which have produced all the great ethical
institutions of the world."

More
books of this character are eminently desirable. Those interested in Masonic
lore and antiquity may find for themselves in any Masonic library many
treatises, fictitious and authentic, for their information. But facing
practical problems and desirous of having a rational concept of the service
that Freemasonry may render in our own times it is well, perhaps, to seek
those common-sense works that will be appreciated for their lucidity and
directness by the highly trained intellect, as well as plainly understandable
by the average man.

My faith
in the serviceability of Freemasonry for our times makes me somewhat impatient
with those obscure treatments of Freemasonry that seem to promise a mystical
solution of the problems of human life and society.

Our
Brother Delmar Darrah, out of his long Masonic experience and acquaintanceship
with the learning of the Craft, has rendered an inestimable service in his
reasonable explanation of the rise and growth of modern Masonry. The
readableness of the volume, so charmingly descriptive of the romance of
Masonic growth, will, I believe, commend itself to all who are desirous of an
introduction to the history of the Craft.

The
motive actuating the author and his attitude toward those who are ever
desirous of enshrouding Freemasonry in the cloak of mysticism may be deduced
from the following: "It is a matter of sincere regret," he says, "and not at
all to the credit of Freemasonry that there are many Masons who seem to prefer
to have the fraternity draped in tradition and mysticism rather than to have
the truth elicited and understood." And further one may read, "It should not
be overlooked that much of the literature and alleged history of Freemasonry
consists mainly of abortive attempts to connect the Fraternity through its
symbolism with the mysteries of the ages, and in many instances a direct
association has been made with crude ceremonies of an almost forgotten past.
It is quite easy to understand the reason for this. The human mind loves the
marvelous, and one of its greatest susceptibilities is to try and connect the
vague.and unknown with some supernatural agency and, as far as possible, link
it with a mystical past thereby taking it out of the commonplace and
enveloping it in a sort of etherial atmosphere."

Quite
interesting, too, is his statement regarding the conception of Freemasonry as
a secret society. "The student who is to study Freemasonry," writes Darrah,
"must divest himself of the idea that it is a secret society. There is a
marked distinction between a secret society and a brotherhood or institution
designed for the moral benefit of mankind. A secret society is merely the
outgrowth of primitive conditions while a brotherhood is the result of culture
and refinement." "A secret society is merely the outgrowth of primitive
conditions" is a striking rebuke, it seems to me, to those who are endlessly
asserting that the lineage of modern Masonry extends to primitive times.

Turn to
page 49 and you read this very luminous paragraph: "Universal brotherhood
grows out of social relationship. Fraternity is a world in which the faces of
man are turned toward each other. It means the science of humanity based upon
the fact that we have a common origin, and a common destiny, and that God is
the Creator and Father of us all, and that from this relationship evolves the
civilization of the human race. In the evolution of man, we have passed from
the individual to the family, to the community, to the state and inter-state
alliance, and in due time will pass to a united group of nations; the dream of
Freemasonry; the fulfillment of God's plan; in the parliament of man; the
federation of the world."

There is
something thrilling in this. It causes one to weigh carefully his own attitude
toward Masonry and our faith in her potential greatness as a national and
world servant of humanity.

Most
delightful chapters are those devoted to architecture under the caption
"Frozen Music" and the "Cathedral Builders," in which the author goes back to
a rapid study of those Operative Masons whose genius erected those monumental
edifices. His treatment of the relationship of the old Operative Masons and
the Freemasons of today while not coldly analytical is certainly clear in its
emphasis, that (other than the old operatives being possessed of those
elemental things of a mason craft, making possible for modern Masonry to
utilize many of their tools and customs as symbols and emblems for their
esoteric teaching) small claim can be laid to the speculative Mason being the
logical heir of the operatives.

Splendidly does he speak of the influence of Gothic art when he says: "The
Gothic with its sky-piercing spires, pointed arches, vaulted roofs, lifts the
soul of man to higher conceptions and aspirations. One may stand in the
Prophyliaea of Laphithae, in the pillared halls of the academies of
philosophy, but there is awakened no such lofty thought or grandeur of faith
as comes from the contemplation of the Gothic ever pointing upward, drawing
the vision onward as if for farreaching revelation and a glimpse of that faith
which is lost in sight."

But that
the cathedrals were strictly the expression of the religious faith of the
builders he is ready to deny, for, he says in a sentence or two relative to
this idea, "the claim has been made by some Masonic enthusiasts that the
cathedrals which were the product of these medieval builders gave expression
in a symbolic way to the religious faith of the builders. This, however, is
purely imaginative."

On the
whole I feel that his treatment of the medieval builders is sincere, logical
and scientific. But I desire to clings to moo conviction that those old
cathedrals had something of connection with the religious aspirations of the
builders.

Racily
written and of absorbing interest are his references to the good old days, the
early Craft customs and ye old tavern. But whatever the antecedents
Freemasonry is today the most powerful institution among men for international
righteousness that exists.

The young
Mason would find the author's dissertation on the growth of the ritual
exceedingly valuable and especially serviceable ought it to be to those hoard
literalists who have little conception of the evolution oi anything in this
world. Speaking of the ritual the author has the following to say: "It must
not be for gotten that all the so-called work of which Freemasonry today
boasts is purely modern. It is the product of ritual builders of the
nineteenth century."

One
cannot but marvel, as he continues reading the book, at Brother Darrah's
ability to retain the deed interest of his reader. Almost half of the book is
devoted to Freemasonry in America, and I feel that it is eminently
justifiable, for, as the author says, "it is ir America that we find Masonry
to have reached the highest development and where it has assumed the
institutional character of those great forces which contribute to the
upbuilding of humanity." Several pages are given to the Morgan affair, and
both that interesting chapter and the one dealing with the Anti-Masonic
movement give a moving picture of the Masonry of a former day. It must have
required heroic characters to have been Masons openly in the years 1825 to
1830 for as we read again, "so intense did the Anti-Masonic feeling grow that
it rocked political parties, sundered churches and religious organizations and
was carried into the social life of many communities. Even little children
took it up and boys were sometimes beaten and abused because they were
children of Freemasons."

A chapter
of usefulness to the new initiate, descriptive of the purpose and value of the
Symbol in Masonry, is found in the chapter on the Symbol. The following few
sentences epitomize the meaning of the symbol, and the whole chapter is in
equally chiaracteristic vein. "A symbol is a visible sign with which a
spiritual feeling, emotion, or idea is connected. It is the vesture of
thought, philosophy and art, the enduring garment which preserves things for
widespread use. It may be likened to the cup of the flower, which holds the
unseen forces and sweetness of light and air. Symbols are to be found
everywhere. God threw a rainbow over the sky and the evanescent bow which
follows in the wake of a summer shower will always be a symbol of his promise
and covenant." "The symbolism of Masonry then is simply human life in pictures
- an illustrated picture gallery of the heart, a complete compendium
expressive of man's constant duty to the God who made him and his fellow
traveler in life's journey."

I
thoroughly enjoyed the reading of this book. It was an inspiration and a
prophesy of the type of literature that is going to be of exceeding great
value and service in the fraternity in the future. "Masons," says our author,
"are fast finding out that Freemasonry is not finished but that it is just
commenced. For years effort has been expended in perfecting laws and rules and
getting ready to do something. As a result the fraternity has now arrived at
that point in its evolution when it must move forward or forever lose its
prestige as a vital force in human activity."

- Robert
Tipton.

----o----

PUBLICATIONS WANTED, FOR SALE, AND EXCHANGE

We are
constantly receiving inquiries from members of the Society and others as to
where they might obtain books on Masonry and kindred subjects, other than
those listed each month on the inside back cover of THE BUILDER. Most of the
publications wanted have been out of print for years. Believing that many such
books might be in the hands of other members of the Society willing to dispose
of them we are setting apart this column each month for the use of our
members. Communications from those having old Masonic publications will also
be welcomed.

Postoffice addresses are here given that those interested may communicate
direct with each other, no responsibility of any nature to be attached to the
Society.

It is
requested that all brethren whose wants may be filled through this medium
communicate with the Secretary so that the notices may then be discontinued.

By Bro.
Henry H. Klussmann, 310 Monastery St., West Hoboken, New Jersey: "The Masonic
Eclectic," volumes 1 and 2, published by Masonic Publishing and Manufacturing
Co., New York, N. Y.; "The Historical Landmarks and Other Evidences of
Freemasonry," by George Oliver, D.D., published by Masonic Publishing Co., Wm.
T. Anderson, 3 East 4th St., New York, N. Y.

By Bro.
Ernest E. Ford, 305 South Wilson Avenue, Alhambra, California; Ars Quatuor
Coronatorum, volumes 3, 6 and 7, with St. John's Cards, also St. John's Cards
for volumes 4 and 5; "Masonic Review," early volumes; "Voice of Masonry,"
early volumes; Proceedings Grand Council of California for the years 1877,
1878 and 1879; Transactions Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction for the
years 1882 and 1886.

By Bro.
Silas H. Shepherd, Hartland, Wisconsin, "Stray Leaves from a Freemason's Note
Book," by George Oliver. This volume also contains "Some Account of the Schism
showing the presumed origin of the Royal Arch Degree." Univ. Mas. Lib.
edition. Price $3.00. "Lights and Shadows of Freemasonry," by Robert Morris.
(Fiction and anecdotes.) Price $3.60.

By Bro.
F. R. Johnson, 3425 East 61st St., Kansas City, Mo., "The History of
Freemasonry," by Robert Freke Gould, published by the John C. Yorkston Co.,
silk cloth binding, first-class condition, four volumes, $17.00; "History of
Freemasonry," by J. W. S. Mitchell, P. G. M. of Missouri 1844-45, full morocco
binding, $15.00; "The History of Freemasonry," by Albert G. Mackey, seven
volumes, practically new, $30.00; "The Standard History of Freemasonry," by J.
Fletcher Brennan, published in 1885, one volume; "Gems from the Quarry," by
John H. Brownell, Editor of the American Tyler, 1893, $6.00; "Antiquities of
the Orient Unveiled," by M. Walcott Redding, 1877, $5.00; "History and
Cyclopedia," by Oliver and Macoy, full morocco binding, $10.00.

THE
QUESTION BOX

THE
BUILDER is an open forum for free and fraternal discussion. Each of its
contributors writes under his own name, and is responsible for his own
opinions. Believing that a unity of spirit is better than a uniformity of
opinion, the Research Society, as such, does not champion any one school of
Masonic thought as over against another, but offers to all alike a medium for
fellowship and instruction, leaving each to stand or fall by its own merits.

The
Question Box and Correspondence Column are open to all members of the Society
at all times. Questions of any nature on Masonic subjects are earnestly
invited from our members, particularly those connected with lodges or study
clubs which are following our "Bulletin Course of Masonic Study." When
requested, questions will be answered promptly by mail before publication in
this department.

"ORDER
OF DE MOLAY" AND "ORDER OF THE BUILDERS" FOR BOYS

Will yon
please publish in an early issue of THE BUILDER information regarding the
Order of De Molay?

F.L.R.R.,
Iowa.

I am
informed that there is a movement on foot to establish throughout the middle
west a society called "Junior Masons," having as its object to interest the
younger men and boys in the work of the Masonic Order. This has been
discussed at the meetings of our local Masonic Club and I am taking the
liberty of addressing you for information on the subject.

H. E. C.,
Massachusetts.

The
following descriptive sketches of the "Order of De Molay for Boys" and the
"Order of The Builders for Boys" have been furnished by officials of these two
organizations as material for answering the above and other inquiries from
members of the National Masonic Research Society:

ORDER OF
DE MOLAY FOR BOYS

This
Order originated in a boy's club of a dozen members, fostered by Brother Frank
S. Land of Kansas City, Missouri, in March, 1919. It swept over Kansas City
so swiftly that within two years it numbered almost two thousand members. In
the meanwhile this far-seeing brother, from his knowledge of boys' problems,
knew that such an organization, to be successful, must have more than a mere
organization. He conceived the idea of a ritual and his ideas were utilized
by Brother Frank A. Marshall in the splendid ritual which they now use.

During
this formative period the attention of neighbouring cities was attracted and
with it came a demand for similar chapters. The Scottish Rite Bodies of
Kansas City, proud of its success, as they might well be, generously gave
every encouragement to its spread until 1921 when they felt the movement
should become national in scope and asked that it be relieved from the
management and that it be turned over to some organization which could make it
national in character. The formative period of De Molay here ends.

The
purpose of the Order of De Molay is to make better boys, better men, and
better citizens. The degrees teach reverence, patriotism, filial love, clean
living, and good citizenship. Surely one could ask no more.

The
ritualistic work is embodied in two degrees - the initiatory and the De Molay.
The first inculcating the cardinal virtues of the Order, which are deeply
impressed upon the minds through a symbolic journey splendidly portrayed. The
latter degree is historical and spectacular, affording opportunity to the boys
with dramatic ability to display their talent. The whole is embellished with
tableaus and effects calculated to make a permanent impression.

Sons of
Master Masons and their chums, between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one are
eligible to membership. Naturally good morals and other fundamental
requirements are insisted upon.

Any
recognized Masonic Body of either York or Scottish Rite may sponsor a chapter
of the Order. It has not been found feasible for lodges to act as sponsor in
cities where there are more than one lodge. The organization must agree to
give moral and financial support, if necessary, and supervise its operations,
through an advisory committee of nine men, nominated by them. Many matters of
local difficulty have to be solved and methods that work in one locality may
fail in another, hence, the necessity for a strong local Advisory Council.

The Order
of De Molay is not a Masonic organization; its rules prohibit the addressing
of these young men along the line of their future affiliations. Freemasonry
is interested in its success, just as it is interested in the success of
schools, churches and good citizenship. If a Chapter of De Molay contributes
one good citizen, it is well worth the expense of organization.

What
young man with good red blood in his veins but what has a desire to join a
club, a lodge, or social organization? De Molay provides this organization;
its Advisory Council insuring its character. The value of any organization
depends upon the quality and quantity of its membership. De Molay offers both
of these requisites. It has its own distinctive pin, its emblems, its colours,
flowers and songs, just as larger and older fraternal orders. With chapters
already formed at a number of our largest universities, it is placed in a
position to afford opportunity for the forming of acquaintances with a choice
selection of manhood. In this order, all Master Masons are welcomed as
visitors; when a member becomes twenty-one, he becomes a non-active life
member, exempt from dues but not entitled to vote or hold office.

The Order
derives its name from Jacques De Molay, the last military Grand Master of the
Order of Knights Templar, an eminent martyr of Freemasonry, who on the evening
of May 18, 1114, as the bells of the Cathedral of Notre Dame tolled the hour
of seven, was burned at the stake on an isle in the Seine River. Modern names
might have been employed. Scenes from American history might have been
utilized but with the prospect that De Molay might become universal it was
believed best by its founders not to do so. The name of Jacques De Molay is
closely associated with the Masonic Orders of Knighthood, and the selection of
his name seems eminently proper. Our boys should be taught that our
forefathers fought for all our inalienable rights; that our freedom was
purchased with blood, fire and sword; that forces are existent today which
would destroy all that we now have and that eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty.

The
expense of organization is nominal; local Masonic bodies are already furnished
with most of the necessary paraphernalia; most of it, in fact, can be made at
home. Detailed information be furnished when desired. Letters temporary are
granted upon payment of $15.00. Should charter be issued $25.00 additional is
required. $1.00 is collected upon each member receiving both degrees, 50c for
patent, and 40c per capita annually on all members. This money goes into the
hands of the Grand Council and is used by them in extension work and
supervision. But one salaried officer is employed by the Grand Council.
Far-sighted Masonic leaders need not hesitate to get behind this great boys'
movement; men with wide vision are behind it. Boys delight in ceremonials and
ritualistic work and no one who has witnessed the work and the activity of the
Order could for moment doubt it worthy of the support of all members of Craft.

Inquiries
regarding the work of the organization should addressed to Ray V. Denslow,
National Supervisor of De Molay Kansas City, Missouri.

ORDER OF
THE BUILDERS FOR BOYS

For some
years an organization of Masonic service, maintained by the Masonic lodges and
bodies of the Chicago district and known as the Masonic Bureau, in connection
with its many characters of service to the unfortunate, has been interested in
providing counsel and assistance for boys and sons of members of the
fraternity, brought before the courts on various charges of delinquency; and
in most instances has been enabled to be constructive fraternal service, and
through its resources to aid and direct these boys into higher paths of
morality and good citizenship.

It was
natural with the success of its primary efforts in behalf of boys, that this
Bureau should seek broader fields service, and to individualize its efforts in
this same direction, in order to both insure its permanency and to make it of
constructive value to the widest possible number.

Early in
the year of 1920, through the cooperation of the Honourable Victor P. Arnold,
Judge of the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Illinois, the opportunity was
presented for the Bureau to assume supervision over the boys of Protestant
parentage brought before the Juvenile Court on various charges of delinquency,
where the nature of the offense, or the surroundings and conditions of the boy
or his parents, did not warrant or indicate the immediate advisability of
confinement in one of the county institutions - provided that constructive
supervision over his we fare and moral guidance might be fully assured. In
other words, these boys were through the Masonic fraternity to be offered
another chance.

In
accepting this responsibility and assuming supervision over these boys, and
particularly of individualizing its work, each case, with its full history,
was passed along by the Bureau to the master of the lodge located nearest the
boy's home, for individual assignment to one of the lodge's membership; and in
each case the member to whom the boy was assigned was specifically charged,
for an unlimited period, with the boy's moral guidance and development; to
currently visit the boy at his home, to entertain him at his own, and to
report periodically the Bureau on the boy's progress.

The
success of this fraternal undertaking was beyond the widest expectations of
both the Court and the officers of the Bureau; and fully assured from its
inception. The boys needed and wanted a friend and a big brother; Masons
individually were anxious for something to do; and it is a significant fact
that out of hundreds of boys assigned only three were reported back as
incorrigible, while with the majority the highest success was attained in
leading them to higher and better paths. Lasting friendships were formed
between men and boys which are of the highest constructive values - not alone
to the boys, but to the men as well; and many cases have been reported to the
Bureau indicating that not alone had the boy - and the Mason - been materially
and morally benefitted, but that through the Mason's efforts, the boy's entire
family had been placed upon higher planes of respectability, good citizenship
and morality.

In the
continuance of this undertaking and the broadening of its scope it was natural
that again the question of a broader field of service should present itself;
that if the lives of those boys, brought under destructive influences, might
be directed into constructive paths through the guidance and interest of the
membership of the Masonic fraternity, how much greater would be the
constructive results were the same forces directed as well toward aiding our
own boys, already surrounded by uplifting influences, to develop morally,
socially, physically and spiritually, as a preventitative of those conditions
which in the present day are ever confronting them, and which too frequently
lead, without proper guidance, to the moral, social, physical and spiritual
degeneration of our otherwise best and most dependable young manhood.

It being
for many reasons impracticable for the Bureau to undertake the tremendous
scope of the work indicated, the President of the Bureau, then in the official
line of Van Rensselaer Lodge of Perfection, A. A. S. R., Valley of Chicago,
upon his advancement to the office of Thrice Potent Master, presented the
entire subject to the lodge's membership, at a meeting held on June 3rd, 1920;
with the suggestion that plans be set in motion for the formation of an
organization or association, made up of sons and brothers of members of the
Masonic fraternity, and their intimate friends, between the ages of fourteen
and twenty-one, which would aid the boys under the guidance of their Masonic
elder brothers, in the development and betterment of all that pertains to
their moral, mental, social, physical and spiritual welfare.

Further,
that such organization or association, with the co-operation of the membership
of Masonic lodges and bodies, be multiplied into as many units or groups as
might seem desirable, and perpetuate itself with a ritualistic form of
ceremony embodying the purpose aimed for and indicated.

The
suggestion made met with the unanimous and enthusiastic endorsement of the
Lodge of Perfection membership, and a committee was appointed to consider the
subject and make recommendations accordingly.

As a
result of the meeting and the committee's later report, plans were, set in
motion for the promotion of an organization to be made up of boys between the
ages of fourteen and twenty-one, sons of members of the Masonic fraternity,
and their immediate boyhood companions, and grouped into Chapters, the
Chapters to be governed by a representative central body; each Chapter formed
to be under the guidance and supervision of a volunteer advisory council of
Master Masons, chosen or appointed from the interested membership of Masonic
lodges and bodies willing to give the Chapters' maintenance and progress their
individual attention and continued supervision, and which, reaching the
greatest number consistent with the volunteer Masonic forces at its disposal,
should aid in no uncertain manner in building up the mental, moral, physical
and spiritual development of the boys grouped in its membership.

With this
an additional organization made up of volunteer members of Van Rensselaer
Lodge of Perfection, was formed for the promotion and financial maintenance of
the boys' Order, and to function as a Central Council for its government,
until such time as it could be made self-governing and self-supporting; a
Constitution and Statutes, and an impressive ritual exercise, made up in two
degrees, were provided, and the Order of the Builders for Boys became an
established institution.

The first
ceremonial or ritualistic exercises of the Order were conferred by the elected
officers of the Central Council upon a group of thirty-three boys, sons of
members of Van Rensselaer Lodge of Perfection, at a meeting held in the
Masonic Temple at Chicago on the second day of March, 1921, at which time a
limited and honourary Chapter was instituted and its officers installed under
the name of Van Rensselaer Lodge of Perfection Chapter Number One, Order of
the Builders for Boys.

The
second ceremonial exercises were conferred upon 43 boys making up Nelson D.
Ellwood Chapter Number Two, at Joliet, Illinois, on Saturday evening, March
19th, 1921, by their Advisory Council of Master Masons, made up from the
membership of Mount Joliet and Matteson lodges, A. F. & A. M., at Joliet

On
Wednesday evening, April 6th, 1921, the first ceremonial exercises to be
conducted by a degree team of boys were held in the preceptory of Oriental
Consistory, and the degrees of the Order were conferred by Van Rensselaer
Lodge of Perfection Chapter Number One, before a large audience of Master
Masons, upon 165 boys representing 8 Chapters formed by the membership of
various lodges and bodies in and about Chicago.

At the
present, August 1st, 1921, 45 Chapters representing approximately 4,500 boys
are in active operation, while many others are in process of formation.

Such, in
brief, is the history of the Order of the Builders for Boys in this, its
earliest infancy. Its work, its exercises, its ideals and their binding
force, speak for themselves; while the genuine enthusiasm with which it has
been welcomed, both by the boys and their parents, indicates that it is built
upon the soundest of foundations, and demonstrates the need of an allegiance
to which its members may turn when in doubt, through the impressive teachings
of a simple faith and rule of conduct which the boys can understand and apply.

The Order
solicits no membership and has no other organizing force than the testimony of
those who, seeing and hearing, bear witness to its merit; it welcomes,
however, into the bonds of fellowship and brotherhood those boys qualified for
membership. It welcomes the formation of new Chapters, wherever they may be
located; and freely offers its plans, its cooperation, its fraternal
relationship, and, with a brother's greeting, opens wide the gates of its
organization to all Masons, who, imbued with the spirit of progression,
interested in the constructive development of the boys of today, the men, the
Masons, the fathers and citizens of tomorrow, cooperate in binding boys into
fraternal association and bonds of righteousness, and in them unselfishly
builds for the ever living present and for a higher and better future; for a
present standard of high Masonic ideals and a future fulfilment of Masonry's
constructive purpose.

In the
Order of the Builders for Boys, Masonry has "opened the gates," and lo, the
advance army of the builders of a new, a more righteous manhood, of a better
and mightier nation have crossed their boundaries; and, spreading in ever
widening circles, like the ripples produced when a pebble is cast into the
deep, the Builders, through the very force and influences of its teachings
will be welcomed universally; for to these boys will be allotted the task of
completing that work upon which as Masons our hands have been permitted to
labour for a season.

The
ritual exercises are made up in two impressive degrees - the Apprentice
Builder and the Builder - the Apprentice Builder outlining the lessons and
pathway of life; the Builder being historical and patriotic; combined, they
impart in a forceful manner the principles outlined in the Order's object.

Interspersed as they are with appropriate music and singing the conferring of
the degrees occupy about one and one-half hours.

Master
Masons are always welcome at the ceremonials of the Builders.

The
officers of a Chapter are as follows:

Elective.

Master
Builder

Deputy
Master Builder

Senior
Inspector.

Junior
Inspector.

Senior
Overseer.

Junior
Overseer.

Secretary

Treasurer.

Appointive.

Chaplain.

Stewards
(4).

Marshal.

Sentinel.

Organist,
who may be a member of the Chapter or a Master Mason.

* * *

BIBLICAL
QUOTATIONS

Yesterday
I was asked this question: "What did Jesus write upon the ground, when he was
being tempted by the scribes and Pharisees, who had brought before Him a woman
charged with adultery, a crime punishable under the old Mosaic law by being
stoned?" (John 8, 1-11.)

I was
also asked: "Where was Jesus, and what was He doing, between his thirteenth
and thirtieth years?"

M. L. G.,
Ohio.

If you
will consult any good Introduction to the New Testament you will discover that
Biblical authorities believe the incident referred to in your first question
to have been incorporated in the Fourth Gospel long after it was originally
written. It isn't found at all in the earlier and more authentic manuscripts,
therefore these scholars look upon it as an interpolation, and without
historical value. But if one prefers to believe that the incident occurred
exactly as reported in the eighth chapter of John he is not forwarded any
toward an answer to your query, for there is absolutely no way in which
anybody can ever know what Jesus wrote "upon the unrecording sand."

The
answer to your second question may be expressed in two words, Nobody knows.
Ever since Christianity began men have wondered about it, and thousands have
been the attempts to discover the answer, but these theories are all
valueless, because nobody has any facts bearing upon the case. If a man wish
to hold a theory about it he may, but his theory is of no worth to any but
himself, because he has no evidence.

* * *

THE
AMERICAN CREED

I clipped
from a paper a copy of The American Creed and carried it about with me to read
to my friends, and now I have lost it. Can you furnish me with a copy ? I
value it very highly, and believe it might be a good thing if the Masonic
Order would give great publicity to it.

A. R. O.,
Georgia.

THE;
AMERICAN CREED

I believe
in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people,
for the people, whose just powers are derived from the consent of the
governed; a democracy in a republic, a sovereign nation of many sovereign
States; a perfect Union, one and inseparable, established upon those
principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American
patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I
therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its
constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against
all enemies.

* * *

AN "ORDER
OF PHYSICIANS"

Was there
ever such a society as "The Order of Physicians"? I ran across a reference to
such in a recent issue of one of our lodge papers. Being a physician myself I
am naturally curious to learn something about this brotherhood.

H. D. S.,
Idaho.

The
article that you read doubtless referred to a religious cult better known as "Therapeutae."
This name means "Physicians," it it true, but usage has made it more familiar.
The Therapeutae, or the Therapeutes, as some writers spell the name, were a
sect of Jews, more or less of a secret character, who lived near Alexandria
sometime near the beginning of our era. The treatise of Philo Judaeus on "The
Contemplative Life," is our principal source of information on the matter, and
it is believed by some authorities that Philo himself may have been the
founder of the sect, for it strove to carry into practice his teachings. A few
authorities, Gratz and Lucius for example, have argued that Philo's treatise
is a fourth century forgery and that no such sect ever existed, but Massebiau,
Conybeare and others have effectually destroyed this argument. The Therapeutae
practiced abstinence from wine, flesh and luxuries; worshipped virginity;
lived in voluntary poverty, wore white garments, and cultivated community
singing. They made a careful study of the Jewish sacred writings and gave to
them an allegorical explanation, such as Mrs. Eddy has made familiar to our
day. They reprobated slavery, would hold no private property, would

not take
oaths, nor make blood sacrifices, and they paid, like the Essenes, especial
reverence to the sun. They further agreed with the Essenes in expecting the
speedy end of the world and in making an effort to be prepared for that event.
But they were very different from them in that instead of practicing an active
life of farming, bee keeping, and weaving, they lived a leisurely,
contemplative life, and sought purity of mind rather than practical
righteousness. The Therapeutae never wielded much influence, and their
teachings were absorbed by the larger streams of religion. It is improbable
that anything in Freemasonry has come from them, though Dr. Mackey believed
the contrary.

* * *

FOUNDATION STONES

Why is it
that little or nothing is said in the Blue Lodge work about "Foundations"? In
our building in Chicago, the greatest care has to be taken to secure a
bed-rock foundation for our Temples and skyscrapers. Hasn't the work suffered
from absence of teachings that could be derived from the subject of
"foundations" ?

E.P.S.M.,
Illinois

Of stones
in their various uses the Blue Lodge ritual has much to say. There is the
corner-stone, represented by the Entered Apprentice when he stands in the
Northeast Corner; there is the cubical stone, or perfect ashlar; there is the
imperfect, or rough ashlar, etc., but there is no direct teaching concerning
foundations, and that, it may be, is our loss. Why so important an idea did
not receive more attention in a system of symbolism originally derived from
the building arts it is impossible to say. In the so-called higher degrees,
however, and notably in the Chapter, the omission is made good by a most
impressive interpretation and dramatization of the Stone of Foundation. You
may be interested to know that George William Speth believed the drama of
Hiram Abiff to have been originally a ceremony of human sacrifice, when a
human being was buried under the foundation of a new structure to appease the
deity to whom the ground was sacred. An excellent article on "Foundation
Stones" appeared in the first volume of THE BUILDER, for July, 1915 page 159.
Mackey's Encyclopedia, volume II, page 722, carries a very complete discussion
of the subject, worthy to be well recommended to a student. Very frequently
the idea of the necessity for a solid foundation of the Masonic life is
discussed under the head of the Northeast Corner.

* * *

"OATH "
AND "OBLIGATION"

What is
the difference between an "oath" and an "obligation" ?

H.T.R.,
New Hampshire

In actual
practice there is very little difference, nor is there much distinction to be
made in definition. It may be roughly said that an oath may be made privately
with no thought of another, as when the movie hero makes an oath to himself
that he will be avenged for the loss of his sweetheart. An obligation implies
another party, and is therefore social in its nature. Also, an oath usually
carries with it a reference to deity, or to some supernatural power, whereas
an obligation may be purely secular in its nature. These distinctions must not
be pressed too far because, as said above, in actual use the two words are not
always distinguished.

* * *

MASONIC
SCHOLARS

Whom do
you consider the best Masonic writer - Mackey, Gould, or Oliver? Some of my
brethren who have read after Oliver say that he gets off the subject too much,
or he lets his thoughts run wild without facts to back up his statements. Is
this true?

L. B. P.,
Arkansas.

Every
Mason who cares anything about the literature and traditions of the Craft has
a warm spot in his heart for Dr. Oliver. He was so noble in soul, so
enthusiastic in a cause which was sacred to him because it was a religion, so
prolific in writings and in good deeds, that one is averse to uttering a word
that may sound like disparagement of one of our Masonic fathers: but it is
unfortunately true that his work now belongs to a past time and doesn't have
very much weight with present day scholars. What your friends have told you is
true, though it must not be therefore assumed that Oliver is completely
discarded - far from it. Many of his pages will long stand. His works are
misleading to one that has not previously grouneded himself in the subject -
to one that knows Masonry and therefore knows what allowances to make, Oliver
is still quite worth reading.

Mackey is
equally venerable and venerated. He is one of our institutions. His
Encyclopedia, his works on Jurisprudence, Symbolism, and on Masonic History
are probably more widly read than any other equal number of books. But he came
on the scene too early to be trained in the ranks of modern scholarship, so
that he must oftentimes be read with caution.

Robert
Freke Gould is, perhaps, the most typical and wellrounded representative of
the best schools of present day scholarship.

But it
all depends on what you mean by "best." If you are looking for exact
scholarship Gould will easily head your list. If you mean "best" in the banse
of the greatest influence made, or the finest spirit shown, then it must
necessarily be a matter of opinion or taste.

* * *

THE
ENTERED APPRENTICE'S SONG

I have
often wondered why we can't have more singing in our lodge rooms. I don't
believe I ever heard assembled Masons sing anything except a kind of funeral
dirge. Don't our English brethren do differently? I read an old "Apprentice's
Song" which, according to some notes printed with it, has been sung by them a
long time. Does anybody know who wrote that famous song?

T.F.W.,
Alabama.

You are
not the only one who has wondered the same: perhaps it is due to the fact that
we are a busy people who begrudge the time necessary to cultivate the social
graces, of which singing is one of the chief. Masons are in no worse condition
so far as singing goes, than others; nor is Masonry essentially a funereal
institution, that must needs be solemn. Quite the contrary, as its history
proves.

As for
the song of which you speak it has been called by various names, "The
Freemason's Tune," and "The Apprentice's Song," being the most popular. It
begins with the same stanza always:

"Come let
us prepare,

We are
brothers that are

Assembled
on merry occasions;

Let's
drink, laugh and sing;

Our wine
has a spring.

Here's a
health to an Accepted Mason."

The other
stanzas vary, both as to order and number, but the old song has an
individuality that has preserved it despite the numberless liberties taken
with it.

It was
written by Matthew Birkhead, who was a singer and actor at Drury Lane Theatre,
London, and a Master of a lodge there at the time that Dr. Anderson was busy
with the first edition of the Constitutions. He died on December 30, 1722. His
song was first published in Read's "Weekly Journal" for December 1, 1722, and
later received the rare distinction of being printed by Anderson in the first
edition of his "Constitutions," 1723. Since then it has been sung an endless
number of times.

* * *

QUAKERS
AND MASONRY

It seems
to me a fact that the Quakers, or Friends, decline to use the word "swear" in
their oaths as is evidenced by a provision made in all courts and upon nearly
all documents. We are assured and have reason to believe that Masonry requires
nothing of us that can conflict with our duty to God. The Quaker bases his
objection to using the word "swear" on the teaching of the Bible as found in
Matthew 5:33-37. Now my question. Are or are not Quakers members of Masonic
lodges or have they been in the past, and if they have been, has their
"affirmation" been accepted in their obligations? It has been my impression
that a great many Quakers, famous in American history, were Masons.

C. O. B.,
Oregon.

We have
searched in vain for records of any men famous in American history who were
both Quakers and Masons with the exception of one Esseck Hopkins, who was the
first commander-in-chief of the Colonial Navy. Of any reader chances to know
of others let him inform us through the Correspondence Department. The Friends
Church prohibits an oath in the usual sense of that term, and it seems that
the Masonic O. B. is, in their eyes, an oath: therefore is it that they have
not entered Masonry. Several Grand Lodges have acted on the matter to the
effect that the O. B. cannot be changed in form to permit the use of the
Friends' "Affirmation." Mackey's Encyclopedia carries an article on this
subject (entitled "Affirmation") in which it is said that the American Masonic
form cannot be changed to accommodate an "Affirmation" but that in-the eyes of
our English brethren the matter is different, for they have often initiated
Friends. It may be that local lodges have had some interesting experience in
this direction. Any information on the matter will be appreciated.

* * *

BOOKS ON
PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY

I bought
a complete set of the bound volumes of THE BUILDER and am now undertaking to
read it all through. Do you suppose that very many have done that? I find it
very interesting, and in many places quite stimulating. One thing that struck
me much in the first volume was Prof. Pound's lecture on "A Twentieth Century
Masonic Philosophy," especially where he deals with "the current
philosophies." Can you refer me to a few books that will help me to learn more
about these? especially the books that deal with psychology and philosophy
together?

W. P.,
Alabama.

For a
general introduction to the entire field of philosophy you would not err in
turning to Rudolf Eucken's "The Problen of Human Life." Josiah Royce's "The
Spirit of Modern Philosophy" deals with the more recent developments, though
not including the most recent, in a luminous manner, surcharged with beauty
and a rare spirituality. Of the books of the day it is difficult to make
choice, especially since every writer has narrowed his field down to almost
infinitesimal proportions, but the list given below will serve well to
introduce you to the general field, and more especially to that part of it
where philosophy and psychology join hands:

"Principles of Psychology," by William James.

"Pragmatism," by William James.

"Social
Psychology, ' by McDougall.

"Animal
Behavior," by Loyd Morgan.

"Herd
Instinct," by Trotter.

"The
Principles of Psychoanalysis," by Freud.

"The
Freudian Wish," by Holt.

"The
Great Society, ' by Graham Wallas.

"Education and Democracy," by John Dewey.

"The Idea
of God in Modern Thought," by Pringle-Pattiso

* * *

MASONIC
COLLEGE FRATERNITIES

Can you
tell me how many Masonic College Fraternities there are? I have reason for
getting in touch with them and would greatly appreciate this as a personal
favor.

L.I.F.,
Oklahoma.

There are
two, one of which, The Acacia, has long been familiar; the other, the Square
and Compass, being a new organization which has not been much brought to the
attention of the Craft. The former is one of the Greek Letter fraternities
with rules and regulations similar to the Phi Gamma Delta, etc. The latter is
of very different nature. It is essentially a non-secret society. Any Master
Mason in good standing is welcomed to its meetings, and it has no ritual.
College Masons may petition for membership on their own initiative, and a
member of any other college fraternity is eligible. Its aim is to propagate in
college life and among college alumni the spirit and principles of
Freemasonry.

* * *

THE "AHIMAN
REZON"

I have
been much surprised that some Grand Lodges describe their book of statutes,
laws, regulations, etc., as "The Ahiman Rezon," instead, as is the custom
everywhere else, as "The Book of Constitutions." Can you explain this? and
will you please tell me what is the meaning of the strange name ?

D.S.H.,
Illinois.

It is
necessary to remember that when Masonry was established in this country there
were two rival Grand Lodges in England, the Modern, and the Ancient, and that
some of our Grand Lodges descended from the one, and some from the other. The
Ancient Grand Lodge had as its book of Constitutions a volume to which
Laurence Dermott gave the title "Ahiman Rezon," and this name very naturally
passed into use in those Grand Lodges which derived from Dermott's
institution. Mackey's Encyclopedia lists nine American editions of the Ahiman
Rezon, as follows: Pennsylvania, Nova Scotia, Virginia, Maryland, North
Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and New York After a great deal
of ingenious research "Ahiman Rezon" has been interpreted as meaning "Worthy
Brother Secretary." See the article in Mackey's Encyclopedia, volume I, page
37.

* * *

WHAT IS A
GENTLEMAN?

You may
be surprised to be asked the question I am writing about but, even if it
doesn't properly come under the head oi Masonry, I should like for you to
answer it. In our Study Club last week we got into an argument about the
question, What is a gentleman ? and I said that I would write to THE BUILDER
about it.

A. K. S.,
Minnesota.

You are
welcome to our opinion always whether the matter has to do directly with
Masonry or not. It appears to us that the idea is defined by the word, for he
who is gentle in all his dealings would surely be a gentleman in all the best
senses of the word. To be gentle in speech, thought, word and deed, can
anything be better than that ? And isn't gentlemanliness a great thing? a
great power? How long would quarrels, wars, schisms, and the thousand-and-one
things that divide us all endure among us if each and every man were thus
constituted? You may be interested to know that an authority has said that in
modern literature there are three perfect gentlemen: David Copperfield,
D'Artagnan, and John Halifax. It is interesting also in this connection to
recall that the famous Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit
the earth," should be more literally translated as "Blessed are the gentle for
they shall inherit the earth." The saying is the grand charter and prophecy of
the gentleman.

----o----

CORRESPONDENCE

PROFANITY
AMONG MASONS

Referring
to the subject of "profanity among Masons," mentioned in the letter of Bro. C.
A. L. (Nebraska), which appears in the August number of THE BUILDER. Allow me
to relate a little personal experience.

Back in
1899, shortly after taking the "Third," the writer went to New York City,
remaining a number of years. Now while I met Masons there addicted to a
species of prafanity, so far as recollection serves it was of a limited
character, - T.G.A.O.T.U. being conspicuous by its absence. Only once do I
recall it being so used, and that in quoting a remark made by another man, a
non-Mason.

Perhaps
an additional Charge sometimes used in that jurisdiction, on the E.A. degree,
may account for this desired reverence. I shall never forget the impression it
made upon me, on first hearing it delivered in Metropolitan Lodge by our late
Brother, Louis Stamper, although it was over twenty years ago. Sometimes I
wish this Charge was in our own Monitor. The Charge follows:

"My
Brother, whatever may hitherto have been your moral attitude toward the God of
man, you, by your voluntary action this evening, have proclaimed openly your
belief that He really is, and rightfully rules.

"The
title by which I have just addressed you is Masonically given because of His
Fatherhood. You have now entered upon a new tie with Him; you look upon Him as
our Fraternity's God. As such you have, at yonder altar, sworn in His name and
asked His help to be an upright man and Mason. That means your duty to Him,
and duty means a debt.

"I know
not your former estimation of the reverence due to Him. I do know that from
this time forth your oath of allegiance demands steadfastly fealty to His
laws, and extreme reverence for His great and sacred Name.

"The
world itself styles him who knows no God a heathen. He is a menace to society
and a moral blank in himself. The Mason who acknowledges God in the lodge room
and ignores or blasphemes out of it insults the Craft as he violates his oath.
Your Masonry must be proven by your real attitude towards our Supreme Grand
Master. The tongue which takes the obligation of the Mason should not demean
the Mason's God.

"Resent
the curse against your Father in heaven as you would resent a curse against
your father on earth. Strive to be a Mason who will fashion bravely his loyal
sonship. Care little for the jibes of man, but heed the sting of conscience.

"Go out
from this evening's ceremonies a loyal Mason a worthy brother, an Apprentice
entered upon a new field of labor, with a new sense of duty, and bound by a
solemn vow ever to walk and act uprightly, and speak reverently His name
before whom all Masons should humbly, reverently and devoutly bow."

V. M.
Irick, New Jers

* * *

POlNT
WITHIN A CIRCLE

In the
June issue of THE BUILDER, Brother Hunt, in reply to certain questions of
mine, gave some interesting suggestions concerning the point within a circle.
The "Stonemason's" saying was absolutely new to me. May I venture an
interpretation in addition to the two given ?

"A line
throughdrawn the circle overall" is a circumscribed square. By dividing the
sides into four uninits and numbering the interior points as shown, we find
"three in four stand." "Through one in center go. Also again

the
center in three, that is, connect points 1 and 3 with the opposite mid-point
or "center" (2). "Through the four in the circle quite free" means that the
same operation in each is to be performed in each of the four sides. The
diagonals intersect the circumference at the required points. Through these we
draw the sides of a square. We have now squared the circle - not roughly, as
might be supposed, but with almost perfect exactness. (This will be recognized
as Rufus Fuller's method of squaring the circle.)

W. W.
Caffyn, Indian

* * *

AN
INTERESTING LETTER

It is not
often that so informing a letter as the following comes to hand; nor is it
often that we encounter Masonic students of such scholarly qualities as Bro.
David E. W. Williamson, of Reno, Nevada. Can you blame us for using all our
arts to beguile him into writing a series of articles for THE BUILDER? They
would be as rich as country cream. The letter is left in its personal form in
order that it may not be mutilated.

Reno,
Nevada

Dear
Brother Haywood:

I have
not plunged into Kabbalism as yet because the firm which I have ordered what
is said to be the latest analysis of the whole subject has not sent the book
yet. But I have read the Jennings volume on Rosicrucianism - read it some
years ago and still have it. The trouble about Jennings is that he is flirting
with Phallicism throughout the greater part of the book. He sees in all things
symbols of Phallicism and - well, I do not. Besides, he falls into the bad
habit of supporting his arguments by derivations of very doubtful scholarship.
As a word etymologist he is amusing but in no way convincing. The point within
the circle, for example, receives some attention from Jennings, as it has
received from various Masonic writers, in a phallic way, the point being that
it is a Brahman symbol of the lingram and yoni; but they forget that Western
Europe knew nothing about this Hindu symbol until Sir William Jones made Hindu
works accessible to us. It was a Masonic symbol at least a century before that
time and probably several centuries. As a representation of the sun it is very
old in Western civilization, of course, but every solar symbol is by no means
phallic. If they want to see Phallicism gone mad, they want to read Jung's
work on the Psychology of Dreams. The notes to Jung's rhapsody, though,
contain more on the subject of Mithraism than I have found in any other writer
accessible to me.

Your kind
suggestion about getting books from the Library of Congress was information
that I took advantage of at once. The state librarian at Carson sent for the
Latin comedies by the nun Hritswotha of Gandersheim and I received the book
last Wednesday - quick work. At the same time the librarian at Carson sent me
one of the best books on the Miracle Plays that I have seen - Pollard's. He
has also on the way from the Clarendon Press at Oxford, Miss Lucy Toulmin
Smith's "York Plays." I have worked through the comedies of Hritswotha. There
are six of them, written in very excellent Latin for her time, ostensibly
based upon Terence's style, but quite obviously, as I had been led to expect
from Tunison's book, heavily tinged with Byzantine Greek thought. This might
be expected, as is pointed out by Tunison, because the abbess at Gandersheim
was Sophia, daughter of Constantine VIII, emperor of the East. In none of the
comedies is there anything whatever that throws light on the origin of our
ritual or of the tradition on which the legend of the third degree is
unquestionably founded, which is disappointing.

I did
find one thing, however, that suggested something. At the risk of wearying
you, let me quote this from the original ("Conversio Thaidis Meretricis,"
commonly quoted as "Pafnutius," first scene, opening with a long dialogue
between Pafnutius and his pupils, of which this is part):

In the
old charges (Buchanan MS., Gould's History of Masonry, Volume 1) we read: ". .
. For it is one of the seven Liberall Sciences: And these be the names of
them: The First is Grammar: that teachesth a man to speake truly and to write
truly: the Second is Rhetorick and that teacheth a man to speake fair and in
subtill terms: the third is Dialectica that teacheth a man to decerne and know
truth from falsehood: the fourth is Arrithmetike and it teacheth a man to
reckon and count all numbers: the fifth is Geometrye and it teacheth a man to
mete and measure the Earth and all other things of which is masonry; the sixth
is Musicke and it teacheth the Crafte of Songe and voice of tongue orggann
harpe and trumpett: the seventh is Astronomye and teacheth a man to know the
course of the Sunne Moone and Stars...."

In our
jurisdiction we hear the same thing expanded in the Webb lecture in the Fellow
Craft degree.

The
question that occurred to me when reading Pafnutius talk was at what date did
the old quadrivium of the Roman educational system become expanded into the
Seven Sciences. It is clear that the writer of the original old charges had in
hand or mind a book that some time in the course of say two centuries had
altered the well-known quadrivium that Hritswotha knew into the "syens sevenne"
of the Regius manuscript by adding the "trivium" to the "quadrivium." If I can
get a book on the history of education that will fix this date, perhaps I can
obtain a clew to something worth while. Small chance, but even at that it is
worth trying.

You have
undoubtedly experienced the trouble, Brother Haywood, that any investigator
who is in earnest runs into. Writers in reputable histories make certain
statements and you look for the authority. There isn't any! Green's "Shorter
History of the English People" is full of that sort of thing and so is Lecky,
although Lecky is not so bad as Green. That is the trouble I am having in the
York Plays, from Adolphus W. Ward down. Prof. Ward is not half so cautious as
he should have been. However, I hope to have Miss Toulmin Smith's book soon
and get at first hand information.

Yours
fraternally and sincerely,

David E.
W. Williamson.

* * *

FREEMASONRY IN IRELAND

The
following very valuable letter was written to answer a series of questions
addressed to Brother McCaughey by THE BUILDER. These questions were as
follows:

"There
are thousands of Masons in this land who would give much to know with
certainty what Masonry is now doing, and what is being done to Masonry, in
Ireland. Is there a split between South Irish Masonry and North Irish? What
attitude do the lodges take toward the Republic?"

Helens
Bay, County Down, Ireland.

In spite
of the present troubled state of Ireland, Freemasonry was never so prosperous
as now. New lodges and chapters are being constituted in large numbers. The
young men are streaming into the Order at such a rate that in the two Masonic
Provinces of Antrim and Down the Provincial Grand Lodges have very
considerably raised the initiation fees in order to try to keep out
undesirables. Masonry here is most flourishing, believe me.

You ask
is there any split between South Irish Masonry and North Irish. The answer is
most emphatically, No. The true spirit of brotherhood still exists between
Northern and Southern Masons, the Northern brethren doing all in their power
to help poor and distressed brethren in the South - of course, this kind of
thing has to be done quietly, so as not to draw down on the Southern brethren
the vials of wrath of the Roman Catholic Church. Although we have two
Parliaments in Ireland, the headquarters of Irish Masonry are in the South as
hitherto, viz., at Freemasons' Hall, Molesworth Street, Dublin, and will
continue there.

As
regards your last point, the lodges do not take any notice of the so-called
Republic. Freemasons are all Protestants, and as Protestants are violently
opposed to the Republic. The political divisions in Ireland are also
religious. The Protestants are loyal to the British Empire. The Roman
Catholics are disloyal to the British Empire. Sinn Fein and the Republic are a
move of the Roman Catholic Church to disrupt the British Empire. It hates, and
is determined to overthrow, the free institutions of the British Empire, and
of America too, for that matter. Freemasons are loyal to the government of the
Empire, and at all Masonic dinners, etc., "God Save the King" is sung. (It
will interest you to know that the king's two eldest sons are Masons, viz.,
the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York.) Freemasons, as such, take no part
in politics here, but they are true Britishers, and the enemies of Great
Britain are the enemies of all Freemasons. I may add that the Protestants.,
i.e., the loyalists, live mostly in the North, and that the Roman Catholics,
i.e., the disloyalists, live mostly in the South, though there are some Roman
Catholics in the North and some Protestants in the South.